Road Trip
by SkylarCraze
Summary: A road trip. It was just a random idea from a crappy thing that happened and yet...it turned out to be so much more. Annabeth and Percy find out so, so much more. And DO so, so much more. FLUFF-FILLED. LEMONS LATER.
1. Chapter One: Perfect Timing

**Disclaimer:** I DON'T OWN THE PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS SERIES OR ANY CHARACTERS.

**Author's Note:** Personally, I hate it when authors do this. But I'll make it quick. This is my first story, and I won't ask for a specific number of reviews or anything but…be kind and please review for me. (: Thanks you.

PS. This is after the LO (book 5) BUT Percy and Annabeth aren't together and Rachel isn't Oracle. It's a brand new take on a brand new game. ;) LOL.

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I really didn't understand her. I mean, _why_ was she so angry at me lately? I was doing nothing. Just relaxing after, oh nothing, just a WAR, with my friend. So what if that friend is RACHEL?

So, yeah. I hereby attest to the fact that Annabeth Chase has been driving me insane lately.

It all started when we finished Camp. Rachel was going to that all-girls school just like she told her parents and Annabeth was going to stay in New York. With me.

I mean, it's just Annabeth. It's not like I notice the way her luscious hair curls really softly or how her eyes are speckled with darker shades of grey. Or the way she licks her lips, moistening them, just before she starts arguing with me.

Of course not. Best friends don't notice things like that.

But, lately, since Rachel had come to town for spring break, Annabeth was being a real pain. She was always quiet, never like her proud, know-it-all self. And when I pointed this out she scoffed; "Pleas, percy. I'm just busy and unlike you. I don't have enough to go out with my _friends_."

And the way she said "friends" was so filled with venom and so…livid, I almost wet myself right there. She was honestly that scary.

Anyway, to reality. I was lounging around with Rachel, sitting in her room, on her bed talking to her. She was off in a corner eating and painting. Or eating what she was painting. Or painting what she was eating.

I don't know. I wasn't paying that much attention.

"You know, Perce," she said, "You've never mentioned that kiss I gave you."

_This_ woke me up. I bolted upright. And said, just about the smartest thing in the world. "Huh?"

"Remember? In the car? At the beach. Right before you and Beckendorf went off," I said, smirking slightly.

"I, um, forgot." I said awkwardly. I didn't like this conversation. I knew Rachel still liked me…but I didn't like her like that. She was too much of a friend.

She raised her eyebrows and continued doing whatever she was doing. I was still in slight shock, but she didn't stop there.

"You know I like you, right?"

Yes, I did know. What I _didn't_ know was what this sudden outbreak of touchy-feely time was. Or _why_ it was.

"Um…" I settled for the truth, "Yeah. I do."

"Good," she said, walking over to me. She was now standing right in front of me, hands on her hips and paint splattered all over the front of her red t-shirt. "Because I really feel like doing this to you."

And then she kissed me.

I wasn't kissing back or anything…just in shock. Still.

I mean, yeah, being kissed is great. And Rachel seemed good at it. But there was one person who was on my mind. One person who _had_ kissed me, but to this day is too proud to mention it.

And that one person burst into the room right at that moment.

**--**

**Author's Note:** I'll update soon. Promise. And, plus, I'm in the mood for simple fluff. Fun, good fluff. And maybe some lemons later. Here's a hint for what'll happen next time: People need trips. Especially _road_ trips. Especially when _road trips_ are to your favorite place in the world.


	2. Chapter Two: Holy Mother of the Gods

**Authors Note: **Well....yeah. I dunno why but I think I got Percy's character a bit wrong last time. But not to worry. I'll fix it. (: Anyway...this is Annabeth's POV, too. I love doing that because I'm more like HER than PERCY. Not only because he's a guy. ;D Anywho; ENJOY! OH YEAH. And I forgot to mention. The whole kissing under water thing didn't happen. Let's just pretend that Percy and Annabeth ate the cupcake and went to bed.

--

Annabeth's POV:

I was climbing into the elevator of the Dare's home. I didn't like Rachel, but I knew Percy was here. His mom wanted him for something, thus, I'm here. In _her_ house.

In case I haven't made it obvious, I am not a fan of Percy's "friend" Rachel. She's a disgusting excuse for a girl. Whenever Percy's around she giggles and flirts and is just...stupid. Too girly. Percy would never like her. I think.

_I_ am hoping that Percy would've taken a hint by now. But _nooooo_. He's just as clueless as he was 2 years ago when I kissed him at Mount St. Helens.

But back to reality. I was standing in the elevator in my school uniform; white mini skirt, white shirt, red tie and short-sleeved red blazer, waiting to see whatever Percy and Rachel were doing.

Did mention how much I hate being here?

And as I busted through the elevator doors I saw him. And her.

Kissing.

For a second, all i could feel was hurt. My eyes welled up and began burning with the stupid tears. Then, anger. Then, nothing.

Just...nothing.

The moment I had walked in he pushed her off of him. Percy's face was beat red. Rachel had a smirk on.

So, I did one of the stupidest things in my life.

I punched her.

Don't ask me why, because I don't know. One moment I walked in, the next I saw they were kissing, then they jumped apart then I punched her.

And when my fist connected with her jaw, I've gotta say, It was great.

I hated Rachel Elizabeth Dare.

Anyway, now I could _hear_ Percy's jaw on the floor. So, I simply walked over, grabbed his elbow and walked out the door. We stood in silence in the elevator. I _hated_ him for kissing her. I _hated_ her for kissing him. Could she not see that I hated it?

It was stupid! Idiotic! Just...a waste of time.

I don't know. I didn't know. I would never know.

Ugh. My thoughts hurt. I don't want to think about this.

I decided to screw everything and once the elevator was at our floor, I walked out, heading towards the car.

Percy, who'd finally caught up with reality, was jogging to keep up. "Annabeth," he said, confused and frantic. "Slow down! Wait! We need to..."

I ignored him. Right now, I felt like punching him, too. But then I realized...it didn't matter. He liked Rachel. _Rachel _was his. _He _was Rachel's.

I felt the hurt set in...but it was irrational. Stupid. I didn't like Percy Jackson like _that. _No! Never! We were best friends. Sure, I'd kissed him once, but that was only because I thought I'd never see him again. And because I had always been curious of what his lips would feel like.

But, still! Never. I've been living with Percy since the War finished, which was 8 months ago. I know too much about him. I _shouldn't_ like him.

But...I was Athena'a daughter. I knew my emotions. I was wise. I was rational.

So, I had to admit...what I did back there _proved_ how much I liked him.

And it was a lot. A _lot_ a lot.

Percy's POV:

All I could think was that Annabeth punched Rachel. _Annabeth_ punched _Rachel._

I hadn't even had time to say bye. Annabeth just pulled me away and downstairs. And to say the elevator ride was akward would be the understatment of the year.

It made no sense! Annabeth punched her for no reason...Or a reason I couldn't see.

Maybe I was stupid. Or clueless. Or both.

But...why? The question kept pounding in my head. Why did Annabeth act like that? She was never a violent person; only in battle. She was calm, collected, solemn. Never spontaneous or irrational.

I guess I'd just have to leave it.

And that's pretyt much how things went with me and Annabeth; if we didn't understand we just left it. We didn't talk about it or even hint anything about it. Just...nothing. Left it in a pile of "things we'll have to talk about someday".

Right now, I was sitting in the car while Annabeth was driving us to what I thought was Olympus. We still had said nothing. I wondered about what she was thinking. She had that stubbornly empty and yet steely look on her face. One I'd seen on Athena a billion times before.

Her eyes were different though. The stormy grey orbs were dancing with anger. I knew Annabeth, so I knew not to say anything she was angry. Most girls would just blabber when they were angry; like Rachel.

But not Annabeth. She'd just shut up and sit tight until she felt better.

Soon enough we reached the Empire State building. We walked in, me behind Annabeth, and she paid the security guy a drachma. We headed into the elevator and pressed the button with the Greek sign. This time, I spoke.

"Annabeth," I said. Her eyes turned on me. I cleared my throat. "Um, I, just, I didn't mean to."

What was I talking about? _Why_ was I even talking?

She arched an eyebrow, waiting. "I didn't mean to kiss her," I said in my shaky voice. She was making me so nervous. It didn't help that her short skirt was showing off so much of her smooth, long legs.

"How about this, Seaweed Brain," she said, looking away, at the number thing that shows what floor we were on. "Lets just not talk about, okay?"

I nodded, gulping. Glad we finally had that out of the way. I hated being on weird terms with Annabeth. She was my best friend. "So. Why are we here?"

"Your dad said he wanted you while I was fixing up a statue of him. He said he needed to talk to you," she said, her eyes clouded with curiosity. Then they locked with mine. "I wonder why..."

We didn't say anything more since the lift finally reached our floor. We walked out and into the bright greatness of Olympus.

I saw my dad sitting on his throne a couple of hundred meters away. I started walking alongside Annabeth towards him. She kept analyzing Poseidon, analyzing being one of her favorite hobbies, trying figure out what he was thinking. Her eyebrows were all scrunched up, something I remember her saying looked cute on me.

I wonder if she...that would explain why she punched...but no. No, no, no. Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena, one of the most sought after girls at camp, liking _me_? Percy Jackson, dorky hero?

Never. It just couldn't happen. And plus, we were best friends, and just...couldn't.

Anyway, we'd now reached my dad. I knelled down, bowing to him. He gestured for me to get up, smiling and said; "Well, Percy. I'm glad you came."

Confusion. Why was he being so weird? "Uh, I'm glad I came, too, Dad. So, what's up?"

"Oh, well," he started, clearing his throat. This was only getting worse. He only cleared his throat when he needed to talk about something serious. "I just wanted you to meet someone."

"Oh, really?" I asked, eyebrows raised. "Where are they?"

"Um, well," he was turning red. I wondered why. This was pretty weird, my dad blushing. I glanced at Annabeth, throwing her my "what the heck is going on look". She threw me the same one back.

"Phoebe!" he called.

A girl with long, long black hair, same as mine and Dad's, came into view. She had light brown eyes, speckled with silver. She was tall and skinny. Okay-looking I guessed. Nothing next to the girl standing next to me, whom I (the pervert who thought like this about his BEST FRIEND), thought was more beautiful than even Aphrodite.

"Percy," said my Dad, "This is Phoebe Jenkins. She's your sister."

Holy mother of the gods.

--

**So, yeah. That's it for now. I know, I know. Such a used idea. But I needed something that woudl make Percy want to run away for our ROAD TRIP! This chapter wasn't that fun to write but the next one is great. **

**PS. Sorry for these Cliffies. **

**Reviewwwww! Pleeeeeeease.**


	3. Chapter Three: I've Got an Idea

**Author's Note:** Well, yeah. Sorry for the late update. This chapter is better! And loooonger. And just...over-all nicer. I hope you like it as much as I do. (:

**--**

Percy's POV:

Oh, man. Oh man, oh man, oh man. This was _not_ happening. After that complete _crap_ with Rachel and Annabeth...now this?

Is it just me or is my life a never ending cycle of STUPIDITY?

Well, this is what's going on; I'm shell-shocked, Annabeth is interested and Dad is waiting. Just a typical version of us when we get some important news.

But this...this was MORE. I had a sister. A real, live, flesh-and-blood _sister_. And her name was _Phoebe._ A Titan.

Could it be more ironic?

I stared at Phoebe, _really_ looking at her. I had the sudden urge to swear. I'm not he "fuck this, fuck that" type of guy, but right now I could have said all words and much, much more.

"I...uh," I stuttered, later settling for the classic. "Oh my god."

My Dad smiled wryly. His face was sad, worn. "Amphitrite is going to kill me. Again."

I had to laugh at that. My dad was a bit of a player with his tons of affairs with mortal women. But with my mom and I...he'd told me it was different. That he still loved my mom. That he would love her _forever_.

Which was kind of mushy, but hey. It was nice.

Going back to the present, I turned my gaze from the skinny black-haired girl twiddling her thumbs nervously, to Annabeth who was staring at her exactly the same way as she looked particularly interesting books. My mouth stared opening and closing until my head wrapped around it.

I had a sister.

Once that happened, everything else happened quite quickly. I grabbed Annabeth's elbow and yanked her moving, heading as fast as I could towards the elevator. I left my Dad, Phoebe and Annabeth in shock.

"Percy," she gasped, as she was being shoved into the elevator by me. Her eyes were a little angry, but pitiful. It only made me feel weirder.

'Percy!" I heard my dad yell from behind me.

"Percy," I heard Phoebe whisper softly, like she was hurt.

But I didn't care. I didn't want to care. I felt so overwhelmed, I turned to everyone, one by one, and yelled right back. "STOP SAYING MY NAME!"

Then I flipped off both my Dad and my sister and stomped into the elevator, shutting it quickly. My dad, who could just appear wherever he wanted, decided to leave me alone for while. Annabeth didn't do the same.

"Percy!" she yelled, her eyes daring me to react, "What in Hades do you think you're doing? You just gave a _god, _a god of the BIG THREE, the _finger_."

I didn't respond for a bit. "I'm sorry," I said, sincere for once. "I just didn't know what else to do but get mad."

She thought about this for a moment. "Well," she said, akwardly now, "I guess I understand."

"Thanks," I said, meeting her eyes for the first time since I got the news. And once they met, they sure didn't let go. I was locked, trapped for a moment in the stormy grey and shining eyes.

Then she cracked a sad, wry smile. "That was some news," she said, her voice comforting. "It okay to overreact."

I looked down. I didn't feel like talking about it. I wanted to get away. I wanted to have _fun_ for once.

Then an idea popped into my head.

And, coincidently, the elevator rang just then, the doors opening at our floor. After that, I grabbed Annabeth for the second time, but this time her hand. I could see her blush a bit, but just ran towards the car.

"Percy," she said once we reached my car, exasperated. "Would you please _tell_ me when you decide to spontaneously run?"

I grinned a little. The idea in my head was perfect. Just what I needed. Sure, it was a little awkward, but it was nice.

She raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Then she turned to face the car. "Um...Percy?" she asked, "Why are we going home in _your_ car?"

I grinned some more, glancing at my pride and joy. It was a huge SUV, black in color with completely tinted windows. The front-grill was huge, but over all, it was the most beautiful, most monsterous car I'd ever seen.

It was _perfect_.

Almost as perfect as my idea. Or the person who was involved in this idea...No! _No. Not now, Perce, _I though to myself._ Not when she just forgave you about the whole Rachel-kissing-thing. Cool you jets, boy. Cool you jets._

"Hello," Annabeth's hand waved in front of my face. "Earth to Perseus."

"I told you not to call me that," I grumbled. "And we're going in my car for a reason. Now get in."

Then without letting her ask anymore question, I hopped into the drivers side happily. I loved this car so much it was kind of sick.

"Hey there, baby," I said, my voice smoldering, stroking the steering wheel. "I missed you."

And as I saw the way Annabeth's eyes rolled at my weirdness and the way her skirt hitched up as she sat down, I couldn't help but feel hotter. Her long, tan legs were the type any guy wouldn't mind having wrapped around him.

And with that thought, I knew this was going to be one heck of an drive.

Annabeth's POV:

I didn't understand him. I didn't _get_ him.

One second, he was frustrated and angry, flipping off his own Dad. The next Percy was grinning like a fool, smiling his seaweed-filled head off.

"Percy," I asked him as I buckled my seat in his car. Which was weird. He usually never drives _his_ car. Always his mom's. "Now can you tell me why were in your car?"

He just smiled at first. Then when i gave him my you'd-better-tell-me-or-i'll-kick-your-butt face, he told me the truth.

"We, Annabeth," he said as he opened his window, letting wind and air come in, "Are going on a road trip."

**--**

**Author's Note:** Well, sorry for the shortness on the Annabeth POV. I promise though. This'll be a great fanfic. It's just started anyway. It gonna get pretty dramatic and funny though. Really funny. Here's a hint for the future: Percy and Annabeth get a little....surprise from a certain girl named Rachel. And she's not very happy about this "trip". Especially about the people _going_ on this trip.

PS. If your like Rachel, don't read this. I'm going to make her sound like the true bi-atch she IS.


	4. Chapter Four: We Got Zapped

**Disclaimer (I keep forgetting to do these):** I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE "PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS" CHARACTERS.

**Author's Note (I know. This is going to, pretty much, be a habit.):** Well. Its been a bit, hasn't it? ;D For all you out there who asked, this is ONE OF A KIND. :P I don't like weird, unorginals. I know the whole sister thing wasn't cool but, as I said to a certain someone, it's just for a reason that Percy runs away. You'll see. They go to great places, and have great fun, but its all fluff. I have a subplot thing, but nothing to big. Just fluffiness everywhere and then a happily little after. But thats far away. Right now, they're heading for their first destination. LMAO. You'll like this chapter. It's loooong.

--

Annabeth's POV:

A road trip. A _road trip_. Me and Percy were going on a road trip. _Alone_.

If this was so wrong...why did it feel so good? Why was I so excited at the thought of ditching school, ditching New York, ditching _everything_ (only for a while though) with Percy?

I make myself very sick sometimes.

"So," said Percy, rolling down his window, letting the wind pull at his hair, pushing a bit into his eyes, making him look...absurdly beautiful. The way the sun made his jet black hair sparkle, the way his sea-green eyes glittered with easiness and...joy. I think. It was this _thing_. It was only ever in Percy's eyes, something that made me lock my gaze with his whenever our eyes met.

I really _was_ in love with him. Oh, well. At least I got to spend a few weeks on the road with him.

"So, yourself," I said, smiling.

He grinned knowingly. He obviously got the message that I was with the idea. At first I was shocked. Totally appalled. But later...later I felt, hey. Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea for a Seaweed Brain.

"You know," he started, "I don't know where we're going. So...where do you think we should go?"

"Oh," I said, thinking. I'd always liked mountains. But Percy loved beaches...and the only two beaches I could stand were the Camp Half-blood one and...

"Oh! How about the North Carolina beach? I _love _that place. Black water, grass, ugly sand."

He chuckled. "Sure," he said, rolling his eyes, "Ugly sand here we come."

And for a while, we sat in silence. Silence with Percy was nice. Calming. It wasn't pressured or dense like most silences with other people. It wasn't awkward or even a tiny bit rude. Just...soothing. Sweet. Lovely.

And I decided, in this silence, that I would let myself go on this trip. Let me think my sick, sick thoughts about Percy and, hopefully, by the end of the trip, I'd be clean. Ventilated.

So, right now, I was marvelling at the sheer sexiness he had as he slipped on his Ray Bans. With this slender, rolling muscles; I could just rape him right there.

Wow. I guess I had been holding in a lot of excess horomone, because right now, I'm feeling seriously horny.

But just _look_ at him. Percy's short sleeved shirt was working for him...a bit too much. It gave me a hint of his not-TOO defined abs, his shaped arms. I wanted him to stop the Hummer and just take me into his lap and...

Lost in my own little fantasy, I barely heard him when he said; "Well, Wise Girl," he sighed, looking at the tank levels, "Looks like this baby needs some milk."

"You're very sad, you know that?"

"Oh," he said, feigning surprise, "Well, no. You've only said three times before."

I laughed loudly. A wide smile spreading across my face. I stared out the window and saw the best sign in the world.

_You are now leaving New York._

Percy's POV:

She was so beautiful.

And I was such a pervert.

My _best friend_. I was thinking like this about my _best friend. _Sickening, right?

But, there she was now, her red blazer thrown back, her tie losened, first few buttons of her shirt undone, hair fantasically messy. I could feel my want to lean over and take her all in, blazing. Literally.

But, that aside. The setting sun hit her face on an angle, making her grey eyes glitter in the sunlight. Her tanned skin was glowing, from the inside out, with pure delight. She was just as happy about this trip as me.

We were chattering right now. About her school. About camp. About this and that. I could go on for hours, just talking with Annabeth. She was the one who could make me calm when I got angry, laugh when I was sad, angry for the stupidest reason. There was just so much...comfort with her.

And I was glad we were going toegther. Just her and me. Right now we were only our way to North Carolina to see a spot Annabeth told me that she visited with her school a few weeks ago. Right now, we were passing through a forest-y town in the middle of Pennsylvania.

"So, my friend Ally," she said, "She likes you."

_This_ caught my attention. "Huh?" I said. I have an uncanny way of always saying the smartest things when girls start saying things like _that_ around me. Especially if the girl is sitting with her knees on the dash, slid over, giving me a painfully full view of her long, delicious legs. How much did I want them wrapped around me?

A lot. A _lot _a lot.

"Ally Beckham," she continued, glancing at me like this piece of information couldn't bother her any less. Which obviously meant it bothered her. A lot. "She. Likes. You."

I grinned. Raising an eyebrow I asked; "And why does that bug you?"

I admired the way her cheeks and the tip of her nose turned scarlet, dripping with embarrassment. "I am not _bugged_. I could care less who liked you."

I decided to let it go, but kept on grinning. I guess Annabeth really didn't like that, since she punched me, hard, in the arm. I yelped as her fist connected with my arm. She was, as I knew way too well, really strong.

"Thanks, Wise Girl," I muttered, "Way to take a joke."

'Why you're very welcome, Seaweed Brain," she winked smiling with fake brightness. "Anytime."

I let a smile twitch, trying to force its way onto my lips until i finally gave in, laughing.

At then, at that very moment, the car broke down.

First there was a crackle, then a lurch, then we stopped, then a grunting from the engine, then a curse from me. "Oh, man," I said. This was so not cool. I did not know how to fix cars. We'd have to walk to the nearest town, which we passed about 10 minutes ago and we'd been driving at 120 kilo since.

I looked at Annabeth, who was trying not to laugh. "What's so funny?" I asked. "Getting stuck in the middle of the forest without a working car?"

She laughed at this, lightly, but soon said, "No, Percy. What's so funny is that this car has never, ever broken down since the War and now, _a year later_, it breaks down in the middle of the forest. Coincidence. Its amusing."

I grumbled and muttered a long line of mutters; mostly about how _not_ amusing being eaten by wolves is.

As i grumbled my way out, I suddenly found myself in the middle of a forest.

Seriously. One second, I was getting out of the SUV, the next, I was in the middle of a dark, shimmering forest with leaves of red, orange and brown. At the back of my head, I was thinking of how beautiful the place really was.

I looked around and saw that the leaves were partially on the ground, partially still on tree. The soft wind was whistling and cozy grassy paths were cut out. The gray-white trunks of the Paper Birch trees collided perfectly with the oranges, greens and reds of the leaves. It was like someone had created a forest based on a Autumn postcard.

"W-what just happened?" Annabeth stuttered out.

"I...I dunno," I said, "But I know who's involved.

Obviously. There's only one type of person who can zap you to places.

She waited, both eyebrows raised. "Gods," I said shortly.

I saw her face shift into understanding then into bitterness. "I hate it when hey do that," she said.

"No duh. No one likes being zapped around, Annabeth."

She turned from me and started analyzing the landscape. "The trees are birch, probably Paper Birch, so were probably still in Pennsylvania."

"Joy," I said rolling my eyes. "But there's a lot of Pennsylvaina."

"Oh, come on," she said. "You can't seriously think the gods wouldn't do _anything_."

"I knew that, but seriously. I thought it'd be something like me being scolded by Dad or something."

"Well, its stupid to presume!"

"We're not having an argument. Right now? No way. Please be quiet."

"No! Don't tell me what to do!"

She was so stupid sometimes.

Annabeth's POV:

He was so stupid sometimes.

Really. I don't understand why he spontaneously decides to talk like that to me. It's rude. But I decided to let it go for now. Right now, I wanted to know what was going on.

As we walked and argued, Percy tripped on something, falling flat on his face. I had to twist my lips in various ways to keep from blurting out laughing. Being cool as ever, all I said was; "Learn to walk."

I was about to keep walking forward, but I stopped. On the floor I saw a thing. The same Percy'd tripped on.

It was a fancy wine bottle, with a little fold-y note attached just below the bottle top. The note was written in fancy Ancient Greek, kind of the the cursive of Ancient Greek. It said:

_Peter and Annibella;_

_This is from me (Mr. D) because the gods asked me to give it to you. Its some good wine, so enjoy. Hope your having fun on that "trip". Peter's mom and step dad are looking deadly. _

_Mr. D. _

_PS. Go straight from here. There's a tent set up for you two. Don't ask questions. Your dad picked this place for you because he loves it._

"Well, wasn't that informative," I said. "Looks like it _was_ the gods."

Percy grunted, "Knew it from the beginning."

I rolled my eyes and held out a hand, pulling him up. He brushed the dirt off his knees and looked up at me.

Moments like this are what I live for. His eyes were so perfect and his hair messy. His skin was flawless, the light perfect on his body. His nose,, mouth, whole face shaped perfect. Sharp angles. And the moment our eyes latched toegther (as usual) I could feel a course of heat pass through me, making me shiver.

Percy was gorgeous. It was true.

And the fact that he didn't know it, I could see that in his eyes, too, made it even better. I wanted to reach over and push him onto the ground, climb on top of him and fuck him to no end.

Oh gods. I didn't just think that.

But it wouldn't happen. Because I wasn't like that. So, ignoring my female urges, I started walking straight ahead, my cheeks heated.

And soon enough, I reached the prettiest place on earth.

It was on the edge of what i thought was a cliff. God knows where we were, because I don't think Pennsylvania has cliffs. The jagged cliffs and mountains around us made the view of the spreading forest of green, red and orange perfect. The rocks were all tan in colors, and a little away, in full view, I could see a navy-blue lake, shimmering under the setting sun.

But what i loved the most was the sky. The soft shades of pink and oranges blended, the horizon lined with deep plum. I loved every bit. I would never forget even one bit.

"It so..." I said, my mouth hanging open, in a daze from the sheer beauty of the view, "Beautiful."

Understatment.

"Yeah...it's like...perfect. Cut out, ragged, yet perfect."

Sometimes Percy said the stupidest things. Sometimes he says the sillest. But that? That was the most perfect.

Which is why I threw my arms around him the next second. And to say he was shocked is a very, very big understatement. The boy looked like he was seeing another Titan.

But after the initial shock, he wrapped his arms around me and I got to feel his long, muscled arms fold me in. And I loved every minute, but it had to stop. It wasn't right. Our parents were probably watching.

And, then, I saw a problem. The only problem in the whole area. Next to the small bonfire, there was the tent.

And by "the tent", I mean one. Looks like I hadn't paid too much attention to the note's exact wording.

This was going to be a long night.

--

**Author's Note:** Well, I liked this chapter. I was inspired to write it because I went my first camping trip was to this forest with birch trees and from there I just made it more...novel-esque. Please, please, please review! I promise, I'll love you forever for it!

PS. This place is only the first of many to come...and the end is hilarious. And, yes, that means I have the entire fan-fic planned out. Kinda.


	5. Chapter Five: Zoning Out

**Author's Note:** Well. Yeah. Here's another one. I hope you like! :) 

PS. To answer _wisegirlindisguise_'s question: By kinda I mean I have no clue what i'm doing. I have only this keyboard and my brain. LOL. I joke, I joke. I have an idea of whats to come, but in between I only have a few bubbles. Not much, but enough to have fun with, you know?

Anyway, back to the story.

--

Annabeth's POV:

You know, I don't think I'd ever been more embarrassed than at that moment. And I, still addled by hormones, was happier than could be. Yeah, the whole I-want-to-ravish-Percy thing _has not_ been cleared up.

Percy was currently gawking at the single tent, but then I noticed his eyes slowly shifted down to the bottle of wine in his hand. Then back up.

He cleared his through after a moment, making a choking sound. "What is_ wrong_ with the gods?" he asked, earning a loud clap of thunder to shake us.

I wanted to ask the same question, multiple times, but decided not to. Time to go with the flow, I thought.

"Well," I said, looking at him lazily (I know. I have serious acting skills. And with plenty to lie about, i'm never very honest). "Whatever. Let's check it out."

Grabbing his hand, I pulled him towards the tent, pulling down the zipper as I stepped in. Inside there were two sleeping bags, a single flashlight and a backpack with, what I guessed (by the smell), was food. I moved out the way so that Percy could come in and he looked around, still in shock.

After a while, Percy started talking again. More like rattling actually. He just kept going on and on and on about whatever he was talking about. I tried to listen, but decided to watch him. Since we had exited the tent, we sat outside, watching the sun come down. I had already lite a, now, softly blazing fire. The smell of burning wood, something I always liked, was delicious. Almost as delicious as Percy, who was lying on the grass, elbows propped up as he kept on going at it. Talking, I mean.

I gazed at him. His eyes looked almost black in the shadow his face was in and shined. His face looked sharper and his hair somewhat neater. He was...the devil. A super-cute, super-sexy devil, but my devil all the same.

I wanted him so badly. In my head, I formed a fantasy:

_Percy said; "And, yeah, so she was really rude then, but now, I think me and Clarisse should just forget it you know? And...hey, Wise Girl. You still listening?"_

_I looked at him, rolling my eyes. "Nope."_

_He grinned and suddenly his expression changed. I could see hard, deep lust in his eyes. I was suddenly felt the same. He was hot as he sat up, leaning over to me, who was sitting on a short distance from him. Close enough that if he leaned a little more..._

_"Is this okay?" he asked stupidly. _

_I answered by grabbing his face and yanking his face into mine. Slowly, I felt his soft, plush lips press against mine, hot against my own tingling ones. I gasped as he pulled in, then out, then dove in again. This time he was rougher. It wasn't as sweet, but filled with the same hotness. His hands reached for my waist, pressing me into him. I grinned a bit as I got up and slide into his lap, straddling his legs. Now, grabbed the back of his neck tightly, fully in control. He wrapped his long, muscular arms around me, folding me in, making me whimper with delight. I wanted him. I wanted him so badly. _

_Now with a new sense of strength, I pulled away. Percy looked struck for a moment, but then saw the look on my face. He began to grin slowly..._

"Annabeth?" said a way-too familiar voice. I saw a hand waving in front of my face. "Earth to Wise Girl?"

I opened my eyes, which had slowly shut themselves during my...dream. I felt that my....nether regions were hot, wet even. I blushed brightly and said; "Um, Sorry. Didn't mean to zone out like that."

"No problem," he said, still gazing at me, his eyebrows scrunched toegther, make him amazingly cute. I could have kissed his then, but decided on not. I didn't want to be rejected yet. My little fantasies made me happy, no matter how much I denied it. Liking him made me happy.

"Well," he said, staring out into the now dark sky, "Wanna go to bed?"

He said the last thing with a timid edge. He was weired out by the fact that we had only one tent, too.

"Sure," I said, getting up, brushing my knees, "But..."

The thought in my head wasn't very me-like. I shouldn't have said anything, I though. How stupid are you, Annabeth? Ugh. Stupid enough to be aruguing with myself, is the answer.

"But what?" asked Percy, raising one eyebrows. He was so..handsome when he did that.

"Oh," I said, blushing again, "Nothing. Just...," I cleared my throat, putting on a braver face, "The wine. I thought we shoudln't let it go to waste."

He wasn't very surprised. "Yeah, but I was thinking we should just drink it in the tent. Its getting cold out here."

I smiled a bit. What a whiner. I nodded, and head for my bag. Quickly I yelled at Percy, who was in the tent already, that I was going to change out here and that if he even thought about looking out, I'd kill him.

Of course, that was all a lie. All I wanted was for him to want to look out.

Too bad he didn't. He was too sweet.

Once I entered the tent wearing my dad's t-shirt and short shorts, hair tied back into a messy pony, I felt odd. My usual sleeping outfit wasn't very...flattering. But when I got inside, Percy, who was dressed in flannel PJ pants and a quite tight white t-shirt (which looked gorgeous, giving me the lines of his perfect abs), gawked at me.

"Percy," I said, lazily again.

"Huhhh," he replied, mouth still hanging open. It was like he'd seen another Kronos or something.

"You're jaws on the floor."

He gulped a few times, then said. "Oh. Sorry."

I slipped into the sleeping bag and turned to my side, staring at him now. I watched the ways his muscles flexed as he reached for the wine and the glasses, pouring some into each glass. I got a full view of his supple butt as he was digging through the contents of the bag, pulling out anything editable.

And by the time we'd started eating, I already felts very...dirty.

I wondered if fantasies and views of his body did this to me what his kiss could do.

Too bad I'll never find out, I thought sadly.

Percy's POV:

I don't know why Aphrodite's doing this to me, but when Annabeth stepped into the tent, I've never felt so turned on. Her long tan legs were smooth and completely in sight. Her hair was messy and sexy, her curly bangs hanging. Her huge t-shirt saying Greenpeace gave me hints of what her chest looked like. And the moment I saw her I wished this moment could just stop. Freeze.

And as if she'd answered my prayer, she stood still. Staring into my eyes with her stormy grey orbs. "Percy," she said, her voice rougher. I liked that about Annabeth. She had a rough, bed voice. Too bad I, the pervert, would always be affect by it. Especially where what was inside my pants was concerned.

"Huhhhh," I said back smartly.

"You're jaws on the floor."

Snapping back, I swallowed a few times, trying to find my voice. Why couldn't she just be ugly? It would make our relationship so much easier. Why did she have to be so damn gorgeous?

"Oh. Sorry," I muttered, going back to finding wine and food.

I could hear her slip into her sleeping back and turn around in it a bit. I felt myself, turning redder and redder as a sick, sick fantasy formed in my mind.

_  
I turned around to find that she was staring at me, her eyes filled with lust. I wanted her and she wanted me back. _

_Slowly, I got up, Walked to her, and unzipped her sleeping bag. She kicked it around until Annabeth was sitting cross-legged on top of it, staring at me. "Percy, plea-"_

_She didn't finish. Her lips looked to good. I had to kiss her. Slowly, she relaxed into the kiss, sucking back. I felt my pants get tighter. She was way too good at that._

_Slowly, it got crazy. Her hands started clawing my back. I pushed her until she was lying on top of the sleeping bag and put knees between her legs. Deliciously slowly, she wrapped each leg around me, smiling wickedly. She knew what i was doing to me. _

_But I got back at her. I kissed her hard, licking her bottom lip. Her moan made me feel..._

"Percy."

I blinked. I'd zoned out. I could feel the hard bulge in my pants and was sickened by myself. I prayed to every god I know, except Athena and my dad, that she didn't notice.

I looked at Annabeth, who was sipping the wine, her lips red because of it. I reached out and wiped a dribble on the corner of her mouth, not knowing that I was doing what I was doing. I pulled back quickly, muttering; "Sorry."

She stared at me now, her dewy lips parted a bit, her eyes confused. I wish she knew what she did to me. I wish she'd stop.

I pulled the food in front of her and started chewing on some of the chips. The sprinkled all over the front of my shirt and I wished I could sleep normally without my stupid shirt. Then, I thought, hey. If Annabeth didn't like me, which she so obviously did not, since she still mourning Luke, the guy she did love, then my sleeping shirtless would not bother her. So, without saying anything, asking if I could or could not, I put my pringles down and pulled off my shirt.

Annabeth choked on her food. She started coughing a second later. I looked at her, eyebrows raised, until she gasped; "What are you _doing_?"

"Does my sleeping with a shirt bother you or something?"

She turned red. Her glare proved that she was lying. And, plus, she was staring into the corner of the tent, determined not to look at me. "No," she scoffed.

I pressed my lips together from smiling. I thought she just wouldn't care or notice but this reaction made me happy. She looked cute when she was uncomfortable.

I began sipping the wine as I finished off my food. Annabeth was still fuming. I smiled a bit, then turned to her. "I can put it back on if it makes you uncomfortable," I said.

"You don't have to," she said, her voice harder than she might've intended. "Its fine. I'm going to sleep."

I knew she didn't mean to...but the fact that she was so unaffected, that my body didn't even please her a little, it hurt. But ignoring the feeling I grumbled "Yeah, me, too," back and got into the sleeping bag. I shut off the light and said one final thing, my tone soft, volume barely above a whisper; "Sweet dreams, Wise Girl."

--

**Well. That's all for today, folks! Hope you liked. I promise to update faster from now on! **

**Love; WaniLove.**

**PS. I hope you like the smut. ;) LOL. I sure had fun writing it. **

**PPS. I need a new pen-name. Could you help me out and give me some suggestions? I'd love you forever for it. :)**


	6. Chapter Six: Know Me Better

**Author's note: **I'm soooo sorry I haven't updated since forever. Its the same, lame, stupid excuse. School. Seriously. My teachers are trying to tame my homework to eat me.

Anywho; I hope you like this chapter...its not so love-dovey, happy-day but its...fun. Fun to write anyway.

LOL.

Here's a hint before I go: They're gonna have a fiiiiight. Agggggain.

--

Percy's POV:

We woke up to the sounds of people yelling. My eyes fell open but the sun blinded them, making them leak water. I slowly squinted now, staring ahead.

First to come back was my sense of touch. I could feel I was no longer lying in my plushy sleeping bag, but on a leather seat. But my shirt was still off. I leaned forward slowly, listening still. Someone was honking and yelling and I wanted to kick his ass, but decided a tsumani would just piss of Dad. And Annabeth.

And then I rememeber. Slowly, it all came flooding back. I looked over and saw a beautiful, _beautiful, _girl sleeping in the passenger seat. Her hair was messy, her tan legs tangled and spread out, her arms curled near her face.

I let out a long, shaky breath. I wanted to kiss her so much. Not a ravish her in an animalistic fashion type of ravish...but a soft, sweet kiss. One that was _worth_ her.

I could almost feel my eyes fill. God. I was such a wussy. Crying. Over a girl.

Shaking out the thoughts (literally), I realized I was in a car. After that I realized I was in my SUV again.

I growled, again. The gods were going to drive us _insane_ weren't they?

I heard Annabeth stir beside me. "Why, hello, there, sleepy-head," I said to her, smiling a bit. Her eyes were squinting, her long, perfect face matching with the light making her look...

"Hullo," she mumbled out. "Wherarwee?"

I raised my eyebrows. "I don't speak Wise-Girl."

She cracked a smile and I was glad. I'd gone to sleep thinking she'd never be mine, but to be frank, to make her happy was good enough.

Oh my god. I didn't just say that.

Scratching that out (vigourously), I heard Annabeth say; "Where are we? Oh, wait. Your car? Again?"

I could see from her face she was just as pissed off as I was. However, after a few minutes I felt very bare. And exposed. And vunerable. I could feel Annabeth's face's heat from where I was sitting. She was still weird on the me-not-wearing-a-t-shirt thing. I could tell.

"Um," I said, red, "I'm gonna go out back and get a t-shirt on."

She nodded unable to speak. And as I pulled the shirt over my head, I realized...maybe it wasn't such a great idea to walk around shirtless with Annabeth.

Annabeth POV:

He had to take off his shirt, didn't he? I mean, I had always expected Percy to be the type who didn't like wearing shirts to bed, but when he'd pulled the shirt over his head last night, I _definietly_ was not ready for it.

Of _course _he had to look that good with a shirt off. His marble-esque body looked good enough for me to long to lean over and lick him from haed to toe. His lightly defined abs were enough for me to long to knit my fingers in his thick, _thick_ hair and pull his lips into mine. His hard, long body was enough for me to want him even _more_.

Too bad that would happen.

Too bad I was too _stupid_ to realize that and move on.

Too bad I couldn't just _ talk_ to him and get this sorted through.

I sat up straighter now, yawning and stretching out my legs as far as they could. We had woken this morning to see that the _gods_ had moved us back to the car. I was glad, but still angry that they kept on controlling us. This was supposed to be our _free_ time. Not be-controlled-and-or-zapped-around-by-the-gods time.

I wondered about what Percy thought of all this. And then, suddenly, Percy opened the driver's side door, then climbed in.

Irony. You've really gotta love it.

"So," he said, clear his throat towards the end. Just like when he's nervous.

"So yourself," I said, rolling my eyes smiling. I yawned widely, feeling my mouth open and my eyes squeeze themselves shut. I stretched out my arms, and _Mmmmm_ in happiness. It felt good.

I noticed Percy's eyes were glued to my lips afterwards. He looked...angry, almost. Which suited him _far_ too much.

His dark hair fell into his eyes, and the sea-green depth looked deep, dark and...perfect. I was scared though. My heart started beating and beating. Louder and _louder_.

After a few seconds, I couldn't take it. I was (literally) drowning in his eyes. Breathing heavily, I tried to say; "I, uh, don't like Rachel."

Oh. My. God.

Where had that come from?

Percy didn't hear this at first. He just turned away, turned on the engine and then after about 30 seconds he stopped. "Wait, _what?_"

"I, um," I licked my suddenly very dry lips. "Nothing."

He raised his eyebrows as he began driving. "You sure _did_ say something."

He was starting to irritate me now. "Forget it," I said through gritted teeth.

"Hmmm." He was smiling slightly, a half-type. Butterflies erupted in my stomach, making me feel light and dizzy. Sadly, the boy who _caused_ these butterflies's next few words were not as nice.

"I don't feel like it."

Percy _knew_. If there was one thing Seaweed Brain knew about me it was that my temper was not one to be tested. Especially in the morning. Yet, he was _still_ going at me right now.

"No," I said.

"Yes," he said.

"No!"

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to. Why don't you just leave me alone?"

He wasn't very happy now. My tone had gone from sweet to ugly within seconds. I don't know what his problem was, but the knot at the bottom of my stomach was getting tighter and tighter, and my self-control was not going to last much longer.

"Whatever, Annabeth," he said after a few minutes, sliding on his sunglasses. The bright light poured in through the windows, but I didn't even bother to look at him.

_He_ was the one saying "whatever"? _Him_? How _dare_ he! I was sitting here trying to control myself _not_ ruin this trip, but no. Perseus freaking Jackson just _needed_ to ruin it all.

I growled a little.

"Sometimes, Percy, you are an absoulte _ass_."

And, really, nothing in the world was more true.

Percy's POV:

I don't know what _wrong_ with her.

One moment, Annabeth and I were just smiling and staring and happy. The next, she's getting all girl on me and is asking why I'm "prying".

She couldn't _blame_ me for teasing her a little. When she said what I think she said, I was very shocked.

My relfex reaction to shock is sarcasm.

She should know me better! She should know that. But I felt deflated now. I didn't _want _to talk to her.

For about 40 minutes after she called me an ass, I stayed silent. Then blurted out; "Sorry."

She raised an eyesbrow. Her lips twitched a little, which made me madder. _Why_ did I have to notice how perfect her pink, plush lips are? Why was it that this morning's memory, when she'd yawned and her lips had taken a perfect 'O' shape, had to come to me right then? And why was it that all of this made me want to stop the car and want her to climb into my lap and kiss me with her hot, tingling lips of hers?

I was _such_ a teenage boy sometimes it made even me sad.

Going back to reality, I meekly heard her say, "Why?"

"Because I was being mean."

Her mouth pulled into a sad puppy-pout for a moment, then stayed normal again. "Its okay. I was mean, too."

And, after a grin and a bunch of butterflies at her sly smirk back, I felt better.

If only I knew how _much _I'd feel tonight.

And, simultaneously, how _much_ worse.


	7. Chapter Seven: Mommy Knows Best

**Disclaimer:** I DO NOT OWN THE PERCY JACKSON SERIES. I just write fanfic(s) about them.

**Author's Note: **Well. I am sorry for being a little late. I'm trying to do the three day thing, but it's not quite working out. I really, really, really wish you guys would press that little green button. Write something. ANYTHING. Give me a bit of an opinon…please?

Anywho. As I promise before, Rachel the Bitch would be breaking and entering this road trip of theirs. Percy's and Annabeth's, I mean. Because Rachel is psychotic.

LOL.

Muhahahah. If you don't like Rachel, seriously, do NOT read this.

Toodle-o, my love(s).

--

Annabeth's POV:

We entered this little pub nearby a pretty stream. The whole setting was kind of muddy and brown, the stream even a bit on the browner side, but it made Percy happy.

"Finally," he sighed, when he saw the stream, "Water."

I rolled my eyes and mimicked his tone as a huge grin spread over my face. "Finally. A pub."

He laughed, his body shaking with the sound. After our little…quarrel, Percy and I got along perfectly fine. Better than fine actually. I'd found some Elton John CDs in his SUV and had laughed at his mercilessly. After laughing, I plugged in the CD and we both start singing _"Rocket Man"_.

Laughing and singing and watching the pretty landscapes and, sometimes, the boring ones made the time fly by. I wasn't feeling sick or horny (for once) and was just happy to be around Percy. He was a fun guy when he wanted to be.

Gong back to the present, we'd just pulled up at the pub. Of course, we weren't drinking age and it would be stupid to let Percy drink, since he was the driver, but I couldn't help myself. I remembered the first time I drank real alcohol. The memory always makes me laugh _so_ hard.

_(Flash back)_

_ I was sitting there, in my little design room, staring at the multiple blueprints I stuck everywhere. It was complete MANIA. I didn't understand how I could understand this. _

_ But that was probably just the tired, sadistic, frustrated part of me. I ignored myself and began absentmindedly doodling. I need to figure out the entrance. No mind-blowing ideas were popping into my head._

_I need to be free! I need to loosen up! I need INSPIRATION!_

_And as if on cue, my mom walked in carrying a long brown bag that looked like it was carrying some drink. She's probably going to go party with some man somewhere, I thought. Or her dad. Or one of the gods. I didn't know._

"_Annabeth," she smiled. "I sensed your thoughts from over at the main room. I brought you a remedy."_

_I let out a long, frustrated breath. I even LOOKED like a long frustrated breath, with my long hair tangled and messy, my eyes glinting with insanity. "Uggggh," I said back._

_She just smiled. Then, she took out a bottle of vodka. _

_ My jaw fell open._

_ "Um, uh, mom. I'm not supposed to drink at the age of SIXTEEN," I said, shocked._

_ "Well…I only thought because you had drank champagne at our parties and…"_

_ "Mom," I said, exasperated. I DID NOT need this. Yet….I did. "Just leave it on the table."_

_ Athena's face slowly turned into a small grin. She was my mom, but she WAS a goddess. And goddesses like to have fun. Trust me, I should know. I've stayed over at Aphrodite's for a night. Don't ask why._

_ As soon as Athena left the bottle and the small glass, I sat down, my head in one hand. This was so wrong, I thought. So, completely utterly WRONG._

_ But ignoring my wise side for once, I poured some of the alcohol into the glass. Thoughts of how stupid my mother was being were still popping into my head and I was pretty sure my mom heard them, but didn't care. I picked up the glass and without another thought chugged it._

_ It was hot and fiery as it went down my throat, a bit sour from the squirt of lemon i'd put into my mouth, but great. I could already feel myself relaxing. I guess Mom DID know well, I thought._

_ I laughed, hard, at the irony of this situation._

_(End of flashback)_

We pulled up at the pub. Outside of it, I saw a black BMW and the plate was blank. _Weird_, I thought, but ignored it. It was time to get something nice to drink.

"Let's go, Wise Girl," said Percy. "Just remember, not too much, okay?"

Percy, the innocent in this situation, was always wary of my drinking. Which was kind of very sweet, just the fact that he _didn't_ drink was kind of very sweet.

I rolled my eyes at him and jumped out of the car. We walked, side by side, into the pub which was a quiet place, only one person at the bar.

Just my luck that that one person was no other than Rachel Elizabeth Dare.

--

**Sorry that this one is only Annabeth's POV. But I really wanted that flashback in and if i added Percy's POV it'd be too long. :( **

**But not to worry! I will be back soon, high and mighty, with all my lovely fluff. LOL. **

**Review more please. :( The little green button loves you...why don't you love it back?**


	8. Chapter Eight: Bye Bye, Bitchy Bitch

**Disclaimer:** I DO NOT own these characters. I do, however, own the story/plot. So BACK OFF, suckers! :-P

**Author's Note:** Well…this was earlier than usual. I hope you enjoy this…because it may be a bit before I update next time. But don't get all jumpy towards conclusions. I MIGHT just be wrong.

Anyway…here's a gr8 chapter, if I do say so myself. I was thinking of adding Rachel's POV...read on to find out if I did. ;-)

--

Percy's POV:

Annabeth's jaw went about as tight as a shark's when she saw Rachel. That tipped me off. To knowing she wasn't very pleased to see Rach, I mean.

But _Rachel_ seemed very happy to see me. Once we entered and the little ruffles, clackles, and sounds died down, I saw Rachel glance at us. Then she did a double take, this time her eyes darting from me to Annabeth. And then they glued themselves on to me but…but before she had glued her eyes to me, I could have _sworn_ she smirked at Annabeth.

What was going on _there_?

Anyway, Rachel then screamed; "PERCY!"

She launched herself from the chair and gave me one of those girly clingy hugs. It was bony and there was random bits of empty space. Hugging _Annabeth_ was never like this. Annabeth hugged like she looked.

Seriously beautifully. And kind of sexily.

Thinking of Annabeth, I watched her reaction to the hug. Her eyebrows rose, and her wise-calm façade was on. She simply walked past us and slid onto a bar stool. "One vodka on the rocks, please," I heard her say.

I smirked. Annabeth, the girl who was a daughter of _Athena_, was the worst drinker out of all of us. I'd never drank, and had no intention to since it always dulled my reflexes, and had always been the one towing a tired, drunken Annabeth back home. She knew her limits, but sometimes she was just too tired to handle it.

Right now, I decided untangling myself from Rachel would be a good idea. She _really_ did not know how to hug. As soon as I pulled away, she said; "Where've you _been_? Your mom and I have been searching for you like crazy! She's freaking out."

Lie. I'd called my mom an hour ago. She had been informed. I wondered why Rachel would lie like that.

Annabeth seemed to wonder the same thing. "Lie," she snorted from behind her drink. It was unlike her to do that kind of thing. Picking fights with redheads, I mean.

"Excuse me?" asked Rachel.

Annabeth looked away, ignoring her, which I thought was a bit much. Sure, Rachel'd lied, but it was okay. Everyone lies.

"Um," I said. "Hey, Rach. Why're you here?"

"Oh," she said, "I just…wanted to come with. I heard you guys were going on this trip, and I thought hey. Maybe you and I could go."

_Damn, _I thought. _NOW how do I tell her I don't want her to come?_

"Oh," I said, my face red now. Annabeth said nothing, but she was gazing at me speculatively, as if she, too, wanted to know. Like she _didn't_ know I wanted this to be just her and me.

"Well…"

Rachel's POV:

I know he'll say yes. I can see it in his face, how tired and bored he is of that know-it-all blonde bitch.

Percy liked me so much. I could see it in his face when he walked in.

And, I mean, he's not that great in the looks department, just your _average_ gorgeousness. _Nothing_ like Luke Castellan, the guy who's picture I'd seen at camp. The one who turned into Kronos. Which was too bad. I would've date him. Fucked him, even.

Anyway, Percy, the cute puppy he is, had that "thinking" look on his face. Like he was struggling for his words. He was pretty stupid, with his dyslexia and all, so it was normal for him. "Well…I, um, can't say yeah to that, Rachel."

Wait, WHAT?

"I just…it's supposed to be just a friends trip. Just me and Annabeth."

_Ohhhh,_ I thought. _This is where this is going. He only wants friends. I'm obviously more._ I smirked.

"Well, make an exception," I said, smirking. Maybe I could finally get him. And right from under the blonde's nose. I smiled wider. "I'm your girlfriend, aren't I? I deserve better than sending my guy off with _her_." I glanced, disgusted, at Annabeth.

"I'm sorry?" blurted Percy, his eyebrows knitted together. The look worked for him. He looked cute.

"You know," I said, still smooth. "Since I'm your girlfriend, you don't want me on your "friends" trip."

I could hear Annabeth get off her ass and come towards me. I hoped she punched me again. I could cry to Percy. Another smirk.

"You," she said, her face disbelieving for some reason, "need a reality check."

"Why?" I asked, tilting my head cutely. "Jealous, Annie?"

She was about to launch herself on me, but Perseus caught her by the mid-section. "Percy!" I squealed, with a fake half-sob. I needed him to hold _me_. Not _her_.

I could hear him murmuring in her ear. I was boiling now. She'd attacked _me_. And SHE was getting the comforting?

Finally, he turned to me. His face was serious now, set. "Rachel," he said, still looking at Annabeth, but glancing at me. "We should go talk outside."

"Okay," I smiled. _Maybe we could just ditch the bitch here,_ I thought.

Too bad I was so wrong it wasn't even funny. To me, anyway.

Annabeth's POV:

I wished she'd just die somewhere. Her and stupid flirty voice, her big green eyes. Her and tattered ugly, obviously been _cut_ shorter skirts. I could see her fiddling with them, trying to get Percy to feel seduced.

Which he was. I could see it. And it made me, the pathetic one in this situation, want to burst long, hard sobs.

When she'd called herself his girlfriend, Percy was caught off-guard. I, however, was only mad. She _was not_ his girlfriend. Percy and I may be more on the fun, no-deep talking side, but _that_ he might've mentioned.

After she said I was jealous, and called me _Annie_, I pounced. It wasn't a very normal move, I wasn't a violent person, but when it came to Rachel Elizabeth Dare, I'd feed her to wolves any day. _After_ shredding her to pieces in a wood shredder.

But as I'd jumped, something had grabbed my middle from halfway in the air, pulling me back down. I fell back into Percy's long, strong, _toned_ arms. I could feel him wrap me into him, his lips at my ear.

"Calm, Annabeth," he said softly into my ear. "Calm."

He murmured some other stuff into my ear, but all I could think was _How does his voice sound so…DELECTABLE?_ I felt so horny after that moment, I had excuse myself to the ladies room. Which was good, since Percy wanted to talk to the redhead alone.

I was hyperventilating once I got the bathroom. I moaned and stretch out, trying to shake out the intense, perfect feeling of his lips at my ear.

I liked Percy Jackson a lot. I liked Percy Jackson _A LOT_.

When I'd checked myself out (I looked normal. Green sweater, hair tied back, eyes wide) and left to finish my lovely little drink, I saw Percy sitting his face calm. Which put me off.

"What happened?" I asked, alarmed by his strangely calm, serious expression. "Where's Dare?"

"She's gone. She had to go home."

Even if it was stupid and pathetic…I could feel a smile, a _smirk_, grow onto my face. I felt so smug, so glad, I was glowing. Then I said;

"Damn straight."

--

**So! I'll write faster and…better [lemonier ;-)] If you guys press the greeny bo-beany underneath this text. You know. The one that would be summarized as "R&R". ;-)**

** So…yeah. I hoped you liked this chapter. I know I had fun writing it. I HATE Rachel. It was nice to show everyone what she was in my head. A smug, overconfident redhead, I mean.**

** Love you all! Forever and ever. :-)**


	9. Chapter Nine: We've Got Beach!

**Author's Note: ** Well, helloooo again. Well. This is ANOTHER chapter for you Percabeth lovers. I added some more…fun moments. Enjoy, my loves.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the Percy Jackson series characters. I only use them for my own pleasure.

Joking. ;-)

--

Percy's POV:

"How about I just drive until we get to hotel by the beach?" I asked, smiling a bit. Annabeth hated it when I was the one who was "sacrificing".

Her face turned a bit red. "How about _I_ drive until we get to a hotel by the beach?"

I turned away. After leaving the pub, we'd decided to head for the coast, like we'd said before. I wanted to get near the sea and Annabeth…well, she just wanted to get to the beach.

"Let me just drive for now, okay?" I said, "You can drive later."

She gazed at me skeptically. "Promise?"

I half smiled-half chuckled. "Promise."

I glanced her way and regretted it immediately. Annabeth was curled up on her seat watching me. I gulped. Her stormy grey eyes were narrowed, analyzing me. But only in the most attractive way _possible_. Her long legs were smooth and, even when I looked away, I could feel my…special parts long for them to fold me in. I could feel the need at the pit of my stomach, growing and growing.

She was beautiful. So, so beautiful.

I wondered how she couldn't see my extreme need to be with her. I needed her. It was almost killing me.

Literally. I hadn't had such a bad case of blue balls since I went to a strip club on a quest (long story).

Oblivious to my thoughts, Annabeth smiled. "You're turning red."

God, she was right. My face had colored a little. I coughed nervously. "No, I'm not."

She smiled wider. "Yeah, you are."

I ignored her now. I wondered what Rachel was doing for a moment, but then remembered I didn't care. I smiled a bit as I remembered:

_ (Flashback to about 1 hour ago)_

_ "Rachel," I started, serious, "I'm not your boyfriend."_

_ She barely glanced at me, examining her fancy manicure. Which was weird. Why did girls even CARE about their nails? "Sure, sure."_

_ "Rachel," I said, even MORE serious. "I am NOT your boyfriend. And, speaking as your NOT boyfriend, I'd really like it if you left."_

_ Now she looked up. She smiled a bit, her eyelashes fluttering. I realized she was trying to flirt. "Please, Percy. You and I both know you're totally in love with me."_

_ My eyebrows shoot up. And my jaw dropped. And I think my face looked like she'd just said; "I know you really want to eat a very smelly boot." _

_ She didn't even take a second look at my expression. She just waited for an answer, fiddling with the end of her skirt. It was starting to hitch upwards and show more of her leg, but I realized that she was trying to flirt. Again._

_ "Rachel," I said. "I am not in love with you. I have never been in love with you."_

_ "Percy. You're kidding yourself."_

_ "No, Rachel!" I said, angrier now. I hated being mean to girls, but now she was just being a bitch. I'd never seen this side of Rachel. "YOU'RE kidding yourself. Go home."_

_ And then I went back to Annabeth._

_ (End of flashback)_

I smiled some more, until Annabeth said; "Are you okay?"

I smiled wider and she just rolled her eyes. "Ugh. Way to be a Seaweed Brain."

That just made me smile more. And made my stomach tumble and flutter like the absolute girl I was. Annabeth deserved a manly man. Not me. Not a perverted, girly boy.

About two hours later, Annabeth and I pulled up into the Casada Hotel, one that was near by the gray-white beach of the Atlantic Ocean. The scenery was beautiful, in a non-tropical, more-England-esque way. Annabeth really _did_ know better. Than me, I mean.

We walked into the small hotel lobby and I went up to the reception. "I'd like a room. Two singular beds, please."

The man checked out his computer. "Sorry, sir," he said, slowly looking up. "There's only one room left."

His eyes slid from me to Annabeth, who was in short-shorts and a loose shirt. Her hair was long and messy and perfection. His eyes raved her and I felt a stab of anger. How rude and disgusting was this guy? Checking out Annabeth?

But then I realized I was pretty much the same.

"Hey," I said, snapping my fingers in front of the guys face, waking him from his trance. Annabeth did that to everybody, I guess. "What's the room?"

I can't say I didn't see the answer coming.

Annabeth's POV:

"I have news," was the first thing Percy said when he came back from the reception at the Casada Hotel.

I arched an eyebrow. "What news is that?"

"They only have one room…and because, you know, we couldn't find another hotel and its getting late, I said yes."

I was still confused, so I asked, "Okay. What's the probably?"

"Itsnleegotonebed," he said back, his words (obviously) mumbled.

"Huh?"

"Its," he gulped. "Only got one bed."

"Oh." I could feel the color filling my cheeks. That stupid, stupid red.

"But," he said, to my relief, "They can bring in one of those extra bed thingys. Don't worry about it."

I smiled. "What's there to worry about, Seaweed Brain?"

God, I was such a fake sometimes. Of _course_ there was something wrong with it. If I was alone in a room, in the same room as Percy, on the same bed…I'd probably kiss him. Which would be bad. Very, very, very bad. He'd probably end up doing what he did to Rachel, but only to me.

The _thought_ even made me hurt.

"So," I said, looking out the big window that showed the black water, the rocks, the white strip of beach. "Let's go put our stuff up there, then we'll head out, okay?"

He nodded and we grabbed our stuff and headed into the elevator. Our stuff was just a few things we'd bought an hour ago at a little outlet mall. Just enough to survive on. Once we were alone, in the elevator, I realized where we were. I looked over at Percy who was leaning casually on the handle bars. His hair was darker than ever, contrasting with his skin even more. He noticed my gaze and smiled back, but his eyebrows were a bit raised.

I felt my cheeks, the traitors they are, flame. He was too cute. It should be _illegal_ to be that cute.

Ironically, I was saved by the bell. Halfway through my sick, sick thoughts the elevator bell rang and I jumped out. A sense of déjà vu gripped me. The last time we'd been in an elevator, we'd been informed of Phoebe, Perce's sister. I'd almost forgotten about her. We'd, actually, been having fun on this trip. Aside from my self-torture for being such a bad best friend, for thinking those naughty thoughts. And Rachel.

We walked up to our room, 309, and Percy dug up the key. He slowly unlocked the door and we walked in. The room was simple; one twin bed, on TV, two chairs and a coffee table. One small bathroom was attached to it, the entrance near the door.

"Its nice," I smiled, trying to make Percy feel better about the whole theres-only-one-bed situation.

He grimaced back and I felt a little more hurt. Did he really mind me that much? After I numbed, I decided a walk on the beach was exactly what I needed.

"I'm going for a walk on the beach, okay?" I said, dropping my stuff on the floor after pulling ou a coat. "You coming?"

"No thanks. I think I'm in serious need of some ESPN. But have fun."

I smiled, and laughed a bit, but left. Once I was on the strip of white sand, I watched the dark waves crash on top of each other. I smelt the salty scent in the air and glanced around me. There was a bit of grass here and there, some dirt too. It was perfect. The whole area couldn't have been more of what I wanted. A break from school…from Olympus, from everything.

Except Percy.

But…to be frank, I think this trip was what I needed. I needed to figure out things with Percy. These new, intense and WAY too pleasurable, feelings were driving me insane. I was starting to see Percy not only as my best friend, but as my tall, gorgeous best friend. The one I really, really wanted to kiss.

Sighing, I breathed in more air. I needed to clear my head. I needed to get with things. Just not be bothered by the fact that I might be falling for my best friend.

Which was exactly what was happening.

--

**Sorry about this. It was a bit of a boring chapter. Yet, it was necessary. **

**But worry not! The next one will be better. And up soon. **

**I promiseeeee.**

**LOL. Anywho; it was long anyway. And revealed the Rachel part. I'm glad you guys now hate her. **

**And, as its said so many times, my enemy's enemy is my friend.**

**But you guys are more than friends. You're AWESOME, FANTASTIC friends…**

**Who'll press the pretty green button, right?**

**Love you forever!**

**- S. Craze.**

**PS: I changed chapter 3's "Amphitrite". Sorry about that, btw. :-)**


	10. Chapter Ten: It's Goddamn Beautiful

**Author's Note:**

Okay. You guys are officially **AWESOMENESS!** You liked the chapter that I wrote while I was in writers block (btw, never try that. It gave me the WORST headache)! You people make my life worth living. ;-)

I just wanted to give a shout-out to **SARIX-ANGEL** who kinda-sorta inspired this chapter! I'll be using **MORE** of her/his ideas, because they were just…cute.

Enjoy, my loves.

PS: For someone who (I think) indirectly asked; I'm a girl. LOL.

PPS: It's so much fun writing in different font sizes. *giggle*

--

Annabeth's POV:

I opened the door quietly and slipped through. I shut it behind me softly and leaned against it, arching my head back to let it rest against the door. It was about 11:00 pm. I had spent my time walking slowly on the beach, thinking of this guy.

See, this guy, he's amazing. I only realized that fully when I was on the beach. And now, being the Wise Girl I am, I needed to tell him. I couldn't just hide the intense feeling I had for him. I didn't care that he might not, that he might be in love with Rachel.

I'd cried about this, you know. As I walked on the brittle sand. The tears just sprung into my eyes. I don't even know why. The _realization…_the _intensity_ it just…I felt it. I felt it deep.

And it scared me and excited me and…

I didn't know. I didn't know anything. This was just a big mess. A big, beautiful mess.

As I opened my eyes, I saw Percy sitting on one of the chairs a coke at hand, remote in the other. I don't think he knew I was here. But…that was nice. I watched him from the door, his dark hair in his eyes, his sharp features. But that's not what I liked, maybe even loved, about Percy. I love his sense of humor. I loved the fact that he, unlike me, had no worry about his pride. He was modest and kind. And, to top it off, he was damn beautiful as he sat there watching ESPN.

The thought made me laugh.

Finally, the Seaweed Brain saw me. "Annabeth," he said, eyebrows shooting up. "Why're you hiding?"

"I'm spying on _you_, Seaweed Brain," I smiled. But I could hear the faint snuffle in my voice. Damn.

I guess Percy heard it, too. His eyes widened and he got up and out of his chair. "Annabeth," he said, "What the matter?"

I shook my head and said, "Nothing. Why?"

He was still standing, arms crossed over his chest, arm muscles perfectly clear and bulging. All 5"10 feet of him was perfect.

And, yeah. He was _that_ tall. I don't know how it happened. One day, we were the same size. The next he's towering over my 5"6 form.

"Oh," he said. I could still see that he was worried. "But…your eyes," he said gently.

"It's nothing, Percy," I smiled weakly. It was something. _Just tell him, Annabeth_, said a voice in my head. "It's just…"

He looked at me, waiting.

"…Nothing."

He smiled. And it made me feel better.

"Come over here," he said, "We'll watch some cheesy movie. I know you like those."

I scoffed. "I do not! My sisters just put their copies in my room…and sometimes watch them on your TV."

I remembered living with Percy and his mom. It had been fun that time…other than the fact that I was usually alone at his house, drawing out more plans or studying, while he was out at _Rachel's_.

"Suuure," he said, laughing. "Just come over here."

Trying not to reveal that actually _did _like watching those movies; I pulled off my coat, threw it on the bed and walked over. There was only one coach and Percy was spread over it. He straightened a little as I stepped over his legs and I sat down on the other end. I remembered watching a music video, where the girl was on one end of the coach and the boy was on the other, an empty space between them. I bet we looked like that right now.

As Percy turned on _Mean Girls_, I glanced at him. He had, obviously taken a shower while I was gone, because his hair was wet and glistening. His skin look so perfect and almost like if I touched it, it'd be warm. Which it (he, I mean) probably was. His eyes were the murkiest mess of greens. Light, sea green mostly, but speckled with darker shades. They were so…unique.

No one, expect Poseidon had those eyes. I'd even heard from Triton, Poseidon's other son, that _no one_ got Poseidon's eyes. Not even him. It was rare, _extremely_ rare, for a child of Poseidon to get the sea god's eye color.

For some reason, I'd never mentioned this to Percy. I guess I thought he'd become cocky, thinking he was more special. But I was kidding myself. Perseus Jackson was far too good to be like that. To _change _like that.

Leaving my thoughts I realized I should pay more attention to the movie and less to Percy.

Ha. I was kidding myself. Again.

Percy's POV:

She was back later than I'd thought. At first, I thought, maybe, I'd lost her to some lifeguard. But I guess she'd just walked around and came back 3 hours later. I found her hiding at the door, her voice snuffled like she'd been crying.

I didn't know why she was hiding. But that cute look where she makes her face blank popped up. It made me smile, seeing it. It reminded me of the _real_ Annabeth. The smart one that bossed me around. The new Annabeth wasn't so different…she just didn't have so much on her mind. I think she'd _wanted_ this trip. There was no other reason she'd come. She hadn't had a vacation for a year, ever since the reconstruction of Olympus started.

As for the snuffling…I really didn't know. Annabeth barely ever cried. She hated it. And when she'd come back, sad and all, I panicked on the inside. But after asking her what was wrong and getting back a few curt replies…I decided to let it go.

But, whatever. Right now, we were watching _Mean Girls_. Annabeth secretly _loved_ these movies. I knew because one day I'd done some spying of my own (being the sick pervert of a friend I am) and saw her watching _Legally Blonde_. I guessed that she'd like this, that's why I'd picked up from the video store downstairs.

It was almost 1 am when the movie finished but we were in no rush. We could wake whenever we wanted tomorrow.

It was pretty freaking fantastic.

"So," I yawned, giving Annabeth a lazy smile. "Bed time?"

She rolled her eyes and nodded, yawning soon after me. She smiled. "You're contagious."

At first, I didn't know what she meant. I had a shimmy of hope that, maybe, just _maybe_, she might think of me like I did her. But then I got the real meaning. She meant the yawning.

God damn it.

I gave her another smile, this one tighter because of my thoughts, but soon, I hit the hay. One of the guys from the hotel staff had come up and given us the little opening bed thing and I'd forced Annabeth onto the bed. This is pretty much how the fight went down:

_"Percy, don't treat me like I'm some damsel in distress who's with you on this trip. You're treating me like I'm fragile. Stop."_

_"Annabeth. I'm not treating you like that."_

_"Sure seems like it."_

_"I just like this bed, okay?"_

_[Annabeth's eyebrows shoot upward] "Oh, really?"_

_"Yup."_

_"Now you're lying to me. Do you not have a conscience? Do you not feel pain over TORTURING me like this?"_

I, the idiot I am, laughed at that. A lot. Which drove Annabeth, the hard-puncher that she is, to sock me one.

Right now, I was changing. I'd decided to stick with a shirt this time, but Annabeth was deciding on torturing me.

I walked outside to see her sitting on the bed, her hair a mess, her eyes, which were usually bright with determination or narrowed, analyzing, were now lazy from fatigue. But a happy, slurpy lazy. As for her body…I didn't even want to talk about it. Her legs weren't shown, skin wise, but her tight tank top didn't make matters any better what was going on in my black sweatpants.

Which was a pretty sickening amount.

We were both curled up in our separate beds. Even thought it wasn't very nice, I wondered what Annabeth's body would feel like molded with mine. I wondered what she'd feel like over all. Her slight curves, her almost _ethereal _body in my arms. But I already knew.

It'd feel amazing. It'd feel more than that. It'd feel like perfection.

Then, with these happy thoughts in tow, I drifted to sleep.

I woke up to the sound of a scream. It was the worst sound in the world, like an evil hawk's call, only louder and shriller. I snapped awake and alert, but the sound ringed in my ears, making me feel like I was slipping into an ocean of sadness, weakness. I located where it had come from pretty fast.

Annabeth.

I jumped from my bed to hers, and reached out to her tense body. She was shaking. Shaking with fear, with sadness, with…everything. I think it was her dream.

"Annabeth," I murmured. "Annabeth, Annabeth Annabeth."

I said those words like prayers. That's when I realized: I was falling in love with her. The sound of her scream made things inside me panic, like it was me who was more scared.

She moaned and whimpered back, moving so I could look at her. She wasn't herself. It was like a layer of her skin had been stripped off, revealing point-blank fear. The expression burned itself into my memory. I felt this guard inside me go up and I was angry. Angry at whatever what bugging Annabeth. And, well, to say the least, I could guess it showed on my face.

I grabbed Annabeth's sitting form and wrapped my arms around her protectively. I couldn't bear to see her like that. Ever.

We sat like that for a while, her head in my chest, my arms wrapped tightly around her, her hands gripping fistfuls of the front of my shirt. I knew the tming was horrible, but I couldn't help but feel how right this felt. How…placed. I won't say fitting, because it wasn't. It was…meshed. Like someone and put us in a blender. But it was a _great _blender.

The sweet moment passed and I finally asked, "Feel better?"

She was still out of character, but nodded. For a while after that she almost _waited _for me to let go, but as I unwound my arms from around her, she didn't, _couldn't_, move.

"Please. No," she said, her voice agonizing.

"Okay," I said, no hesitation. I wouldn't leave her if she didn't want me to.

I wondered, as we sat there for a while more, what the dream had been. I'd probably ask her later. But for now, I could feel sleep leaking into me. Annabeth had already fallen into a light slumber against my chest, her soft snores cute. I lay her down and, grudgingly, began going towards my own bed. But she heard me.

"Please," she murmured, tears in her beautiful, beautiful eyes. "Don't go."

I stared at her for a minute. She wanted me to sleep next to her? This was…unexpected. But I didn't mind. I went back and was, actually, happy to.

I know. Someone, please, slap me in the face for being such a horrible, advantage-taking, _traitor_ friend.

Slipping under the covers, I kept on one hand on her, that too on her hip. She shivered a bit under my touch, but we were far away enough for me to not feel in on my own body. I think that might've triggered some other sick, sick feelings.

She didn't notice though. My sick,sick feelings, I mean. She just thought of me as her friend. Which is probably why she then said; "Hold me. Please, Percy," she slurred, tears still in her voice. "Hold me."

I moved closer, and closer, until she was spooned against my front. I felt a wave of desire crash through me, but I didn't let it get the best of me. I guess, I kind of was a gentleman.

But, being very ungentleman-y, I wrapped my arms around her, feeling her entire body against mine.

I got the answer to my question. I'd been wrong before. The moment was more than just perfect.

It was goddamned beautiful.

--

**Well. That chapter was…peaceful. Even though it had some trying-yet-not-trying-to-be-erotic stuff…it was nice. I liked writing it. **

**But then again, I like writing ANYTHING that's Percabeth. :-)**

**So, yeah. You can see that I put in a not so original idea, but it was fun writing. And serisouly? Being creative? It's pretty goddamned HARD. **

**;-)**

**But I'll do anything for you guys. Give me suggestions. I love them…**

**So, use press that button, folks. You could be mentioned in the next "ROAD TRIP" chapter.**

**Not that so special…but, whatever.**

**You are my loves.**

**- S. Craze**


	11. Chapter Eleven: Wakey, Wakey!

**Author's Note: **

**Hey there. This is a quick update, I know. But I wasn't in the best of moods, so this came out. So, yeah. Enjoy, my loves. **

**PS: You guys always mention my cliffhangers. I'll tell you a little secret… **

…**I LOVE THEM! It's only because they make me like the books, wonder about them, and get them into my head. So, yeah. They DO cause a lot of distress and stuff. But it gets ya thinkin', dunnit? ;-)**

**--**

Annabeth's POV: 

I woke up with two things: a serious migraine and Percy cuddled with me.

The second kind of erased the first, but only for a bit, since the sweet feeling that was bubbling inside of me was overwhelming in the best way possible. I felt perfectly at peace, but was overflowing with a sense of…security and deliciousness. His arms kind of did that, I guess.

They were smooth and long and not hard like most guys, but just hard enough. They were…well, _perfect_. And when the held me tightly, yet not too tightly, and I purred with delight. That's what they made me feel. Wrapped around me, I mean.

Delight. Joy. Soft. Sweet.

I yawned, and felt Percy grumble. Slowly, last night seeped back in. I didn't even want to think about the dream. Why should I? It was only a dream.

It was nothing. Nothing. Nothing to be worried about…nothing to care about.

But it scared me. It scared me so, so much.

After remembering the dream my mind began registering what a weakling, what a _girl_, I'd been once the fear had gripped me. Percy must think of me as some stupid damsel in distress. Some kind of girly girl.

Yuck. How was I supposed to live this down?

_Oh, you stupid girl,_ said a voice at the back of my head. The rational one that I really didn't like all that much. _Its PERCY. Just tell him. He'll understand. He always does._

I smiled at that. He _did_ always understand. He wasn't judgmental or anything like that. He just had a bit of an over-protectiveness issue. Not that, in my current situation, I minded.

Ugh. Maybe the whole girly girl thing hadn't just been when I was scared. Maybe it was when I was hormonal, too.

A bit later, I realized how I was sleeping. If you haven't guessed, I wasn't the most conscious person at that time. But when I saw the way we were sitting, I was a hell of a lot more alert.

I was pretty much on top of Percy, in his lap, even. My legs were thrown over his, like some kind of throw, one of them in between his. One of my hands was on his shoulder the other on his abs. And, really, they felt good there.

But the worst part was that my head was nuzzling his neck. And that felt far, _far_ too good. I barely contained myself from kissing his neck a little, since my lips were already touching it.

I swallowed hard.

It was scary how much I wanted to kiss him, touch him, _everything_ him, at that moment. I wished I could, but instead I lay perfectly still. It was hard to do anything at that moment. Especially move.

But, somehow, a laugh took over. I wanted to laugh at the fact that I'd been all sweet and mellow….then a second later I wanted to devour the sexy, wonderful guy beneath me. His hair was messy. His skin smooth. His face built in this sharp, beautiful way. And his neck…his neck held this smell, this _way_.

At that moment, I was willing to do anything, _anything_, to keep him as mine. Forever.

But he just _had_ to wake up.

Percy's POV:

I woke up with this beautiful girl in my arms.

Since I was barely conscious, I thought it was just some girl. I kissed the girl's hair, relishing this _smell_ it had. It was an addicting smell, lemony and almost like laundry detergent, but subtler.

I noticed that the hair was blonde. _Annabeth has blonde hair…Hmm…_, I thought. _What a coincidence_. My thoughts were like that, empty yet full. This body on top of me felt perfect against mine. Made me a bit horny, but it kind of tamed me at the same time. It was firm and smooth and long and fantastic.

And, best of all, it was tangled with mine.

I yawned, stretching my body and taking my arms away from the girl. She was curled up on top of me, but wasn't all that heavy. But stretching wasn't a very good move for two reasons;

Because I got my feeling more of this girl's body against mine, and, man, it felt hot. She was partially between my legs which made this lazy, goofy smile erupt onto my face.

And because then I saw her face.

And it made me wonder…when'd I become so stupid?

--

**LOL! **

**More cliffies. Go on. Tell me how much you hate me yet love me. Press the new button! See how awesome it is. **

**And, especially, tell me what you liked, what you didn't like, what you want to see and what you never want to see again!**

**I honestly love criteria. Please. Do a petty girl a favor, will ya?**

**;-)**


	12. Chapter Twelve: Jokes On Me

**Author's Note:** Well, my loves. It has been a bit. I'm actually kind of scared to write this story…BECAUSE SOMEONE SNEAKY I KNOW READ IT. Well, part of the beginning. I think I'm going to have to end it short…

But not yet. For a while, I will bear the curse of paraniona. BUT ONLY FOR YOU!

And you!

And you. ;-)

Enjoy the chappie!

Percy's POV:

You could say that the moment I saw her eyes, I freaked.

I would say that I just…reacted.

"ANNABETH!" I said, bolting up, out of the delicious position. Which, I think, killed part most of my happy vibes.

"Huh?" she mumbled, rubbing her eyes. "Oh. Uh…'Percy?'" She mimicked my tone. Which wasn't very nice. But was plenty sexy. It was remarkable she could just seem so calm. It was even kind of frustrating. Didn't…the way we slept bug her? Make her feel embarrassed?

Almost as if on cue, her face turned pink. Then from pink to red. Then from red to a deep flush was was tomato red, but only visible at certain moment, like a barely visible layer underneath her skin.

She looked rosy. She looked beautiful. And she had slept in my arms.

The way I felt could be expressed by me saying this: If a plane crashed through our window and killed me, I'd die an extremely happy man.

I was out of the bed by now. It was sick how I'd taken advantage of her last night. And not even recongnized her in the morning! _Hey_, I'd thought. _Annabeth has blonde hair_.

I was an idiot. Such an absolute IDIOT.

"Um," I started, "What just happened?"

Her eyebrows knitted together, making her look cute. "You jumped out of the bed. Why?"

Now I felt a bit _more_ frustrated. That's why my next few words came out in a harsher tone.

"Annabeth. You know what I'm talking about."

Her face changed. She looked like steel. Or stone. Or both.

"Yes. And you know that I don't want to talk about it. Can't we just forget it, Percy?"

I groaned on the inside. God dammit. This is what _always_ happens. _Why does she have to be like this?_ I asked myself. _WHY can't she just be like all other girls and TELL me what they're feeling. Not be CRYPTIC about every word she says. Give me a double meaning to EVERYTHING._

"Fine," I mumbled, slowly walking towards the bathroom. When I was at the door, I stopped to look at her. "I hope you're okay now."

She gave me a look that could freeze me solid. "I'm fine," she said curtly.

Once I was in the bathroom, I leaned against the door. This was stupid. The way her body felt on mine shouldn't do this to me. I shouldn't be fantasizing about what I would do to her next…the way I would kiss her…the way I would hold her.

_Slow down, boy_, said that stupid rational voice. _You know that's wrong_.

_Oh, shut up_, said another newer voice. This was crazy. Voices? In my head. Puh-lease. I think sleeping holding Annabeth had a worse affect than I'd thought. _You know if you just kissed her, just once, she'd succumb to your manliness_.

Ha. Not only was the voice weird, it was also stupid.

"Please," I snorted, talking to the voice. "As if she's like that."

_Oh,_ the voice smiled. _Women are ALL like that, boy._

I wanted to responde, but I realized what I was doing. I wanted to yell at myself for being such a wimp. I wasn't supposed to feel like _this_.

Men only felt attraction. They did not feel like they were melting when a girl sleep in a bed with them. And on top of them.

But…how good she'd looked there. I felt like it was just her and me, in that room. Nothing else. One moment that went on forever.

Damn it. I was kidding myself before.

I wasn't _falling_ in love with her.

I _was_ in love with her.

Annabeth's POV:

He ran away.

He left. He didn't want to see me after that. I could see it in his eyes, the guilt, the panic, the frustration. Probably at why he'd done what he'd done.

I felt like I was going explode.

My head was pounding. My eyes burned with some tears. I was so _stupid_. How could I have deluded myself into thinking last night, sleeping in his arms, had meant more than just being with a friend to him. I wished I could take a hammer and bang my head into sense.

But how _good_ he'd looked t working. And the way his plush, creamy-looking lips had pressed into my hair, a light kiss. A kiss, that I, the pathetic girly girl-Rachel duplicate, would probably replay in my head for the rest of the year.

Because that's how good it made me feel. Just one little kiss. It made me feel like I was flying, like I was in heaven. Like this hot desire, this sweetness, it all made sense. That there was nothing, _nothing_, in the world but Percy and his kisses.

And, afterwards, it made me realize I'd been kidding myself yesterday. Falling in love with him? No.

Already in love with him?

I'd have to say yes.

I got out of bed, and walked, with the speed of a slug, to the bag of clothing. I pulled out some jeans and a big black jumper.

I walked to the bathroom, unable to handle the hesitation. I felt a nervous flutter pass through me. But I swallowed it and just when I was about to knock, the door swung open and my fist landed on Percy's chest.

"Oh," I said, jumping back from Percy. The simply touch to his chest made thousands of little statics pass through me, making me wanted to open my hand and push him to the floor, then…

_Annabeth_. _Wake up_, said my conscience.

I did. And just in time to see a girl was in the bathroom. A girl who'd, seemingly, climbed through the window of the bathroom and jumped in on Percy showering.

A girl with jet black hair and a goth-y look that was one of a kind.

"She busted me in the bathroom," said Percy wryly, his jaw set, like he was kind of embarrassed and angry at the same time. I noticed that he looked very, very good standing in the bathroom, on his jeans a shirt on. A kind of v-neck shirt, that emphasized his scrumptious body.

Thalia Grace grinned at me. "Heya, Annabeth. Fancy seeing you here."

**HA HA! For thou whoth saidth that you don't liketh these cliffhangers, well, wink-wink!**

**Sorry. I promise. I won't be so mean next time. I'll update more and not so much of a cliffie. I felt kind of…empty when I wrote this chapter. Does it show? I dunno. I feel like I didn't write it so well.**

**Please review and tell me what you think. Please, please, please try and express and opinon about ANYTHING. Just don't give me the one phrase that is EVERYWHERE. Though, I do love it and love hearing you love this story I'd really like to hear WHAT you like and what you DON'T like, so that next time, I'll write things you'll really love!**

**Anywho, Thank you! Press the pretty new button! I heard from a little birdy that it's even better than the last one. ;-)**

**- S. Craze.**


	13. Chapter Thirteen: Two Idiots Plus Thalia

**Author's Note: **Okay. I'm sorry. I'm seriously, SERIOUSLY sorry. I feel like I haven't updated in forever. Its just, I've been busy, ya know. Trying to get my groove back. Well. I guess I found it, because last night I has the sudden urge to write again! :-D

I know! Awesome, right? Well, hopefully, this means updating more frequently.

Anyway, continuing from our last moment…a moment with a little someone named Thalia.

Btw, this chapter is looooong. I thought I'd treat you because I left such a huge gap between now and my last update.

--

Percy's POV:

I had been in the shower, trying to wash off all my worries. And, man, it felt great!

I was just starting to relax, but then I heard the crack, then great pull and crash. One that sounded scarily a lot like someone opening the window.

I wrapped the pouring water around my fist like a weapon, shaping the water into a heavy ball that would hurt very much if it hit you in the face. Slowly, I peered from behind the shower curtain. And who do I see?

Thalia. Thalia Grace. Standing in the middle of an occupied bathroom, occupied by _me_; brushing off her knees.

"Thalia?" I asked, my voice incredulous.

She raised her eyebrows, the shoot me a glance, from my place; peering from behind a shower curtain.

"Percy," she said, nodding in regard. "What's up?"

My mouth was hanging open. Then, my face turned red. I grabbed my clothes, that were nearby and shut off the water, still not responding to Thalia. Then, within a minute. I was changed and ready.

"Don't ever come in from the window again," I said.

She winked. "No problem-o, cousin."

I opened the door and, just as I began stepping out Annabeth knocked on my chest. I gazed at her, my eyes expressing just about everything she needed to know about how I felt.

"Look who decided to interrupt my shower," I said wryly, telling her pretty much everything through my eyes. Hers sparkled with understanding.

"Hey there, Annabeth. Fancy seeing you here," said Thalia, her smile in place.

Annabeth opened and closed her mouth. I suppressed a smile. She gaped at Thalia, and the first thing she asked was, "You came in through the _bathroom_?"

I couldn't help it now. I _had_ to smile. She was so cute, standing there in…

"Annabeth," I said, without thinking, "Why are you wearing my sweater?"

Her eyebrows shot up, just like Thalia's.

"Yeah, Annabeth," smiled Thalia, tilting her head. "Why _are_ you wearing Percy's sweater?"

I snuck a look at Thalia. Annabeth was shrinking under Thalia gaze, in a way only Thalia managed to make her shrink.

Damn it. Thalia was going to make things _so_ much more difficult.

Annabeth's POV:

"Huh?" I said smartly, still stuck in my spot from shock.

_Percy's_ sweater. _That's_ why it was so big. I looked down at the extra fabric , pushed back so that I could access my hands. I suddenly felt very aware of what I was wearing. Part of my shoulder was clearly in view. The cleavage…well, let's not talk about that. And my skinny jeans? Well, they only added to the…_bigness_ of the sweater.

"Yeah, Annabeth," smiled Thalia, her eyes sparkling. She was _so_ onto me. "Why _are_ you wearing Percy's sweater?"

I felt my mouth open and close. How the hell was I supposed to respond to all this? I answer like this: "Mistake. It, um, was a mistake. I'll change."

Percy just stared at me some more, his eyes like question marks being shoved in my face. Or maybe that was guilty conscience.

"No," he said, his face softening a little, "Its fine."

And, for a moment there, there was nothing but me and Percy in the room. I could _feel_ the sweetness in his voice, his voice itself wrapping around me like a blanket. I almost _sighed_.

But then I glanced at Thalia.

Her lips were pressed in a firm line, and she looked like she was going to burst into laughter. So, I put on a tight smile and said to Percy, "Percy? I have to talk to Thalia for a second, okay? We'll go the beach. And we'll be back soon."

And then, I grabbed Thalia's quaking-from-needing-to-laugh body and dragged her out the door.

Once we were on the elevator and safely out of earshot, Thalia burst. Her laughter was harmless, yeah, but it still stung. I felt humiliate, but made an effort not to show it. I turned my head and stuck my nose in the air.

"Annabeth," she finally said. "I missed you."

My mask was thrown. I didn't expect _that_. So I smiled and said, "Getting touchy-feely on me, now, Thals?"

She sneered, "Hell no. I just missed how naïve and blind you are to your boy up there. And how he's the _exact same_."

She started with her laughter again, but cut it short. A more serious look came over her face as we exited the elevator and headed for the back door of the hotel, one that lead to the beach.

"Annabeth," she said; her voice now serious. "You do see what he feels, right?"

I smiled wryly. I couldn't keep anything from Thalia. So I wouldn't even try. "Embarrassed for waking up with my on top of him? I think I have a clue."

Thalia's jaw fell, her eyes popping out. "_What?_"

I told her the entire story in an emotionless voice, staring out into the black-gray sea. I couldn't look into her eyes. If I did, I might say _too_ much.

But her reaction was completely wrong. She smiled a warm smile, one that was just about as rare as Thalia herself. She reached out and held my face in her hands.

"Annabeth. You've got to know this. Percy did not jump out of bed because he felt…promiscuous," I raised my eyebrows at her vocab-use. "He's not that type of guy. You and I both know that. He's the type who probably jumped out of bed because he felt like he was taking advantage of you."

I guffawed as she let go of my face, stepping back to watch me. "Please. Me? Advantage? No. Percy and I…are we like that?"

She shook her head. "You're not the formal type. But, as much as I hate admitting it, Percy's a good guy with good intentions. He probably felt like he was using you."

I gave this some thought. She _was_ right. Percy was more the type to think like that than to be promiscuous and/or _feel_ promiscuous. "But…," I said, my eyes still confused, distant. "He doesn't like me like that."

Thalia sighed and tired, long sigh. "Seriously, Annabeth? Can we get one thing straight? Percy. Likes. You."

"Fine," I said, "Let's say that's possible. Then, if it is, why isn't he making a move?"

"Annabeth," Thalia groaned, clutching her head now. "You're not this stupid! Stop being this stupid! Think about it. Why? Why did he jumped out of bed? Why doesn't he make a move? They're the same thing! Have the same REASON."

I thought about this. I thought about this for a long time. It made sense. But…it felt odd. Unsettling. Could it be true? Could it not?

"I think," I said, gulping, "I know what to do."

Thalia let go of her head, and, now, I looked straight into her piercing blue eyes. She could see what I was going to do. She nodded and smiled.

I guessed _I_ was going to have to do something now.

Percy's POV:

They had been gone a while now. Annabeth and Thalia, being BFFL, liked talking. I wondered _what_ they were talking about.

Right now, I was sitting in our hotel room, holding another can of coke, watching some Lifetime Channel movie. I was waiting for them to come back. And, bored as I was, I let my thoughts go off.

What did they find? I think you can guess.

I thought about the way she looked in my sweater. It was big on her, hanging off her body, the bottom nearing her knees. Part of the collar was hanging off her shoulder, exposing part of it. Her hair had been pulled into a messy ponytail and her eyes were sparkling. Her skin was tanned and clear, as usually. It was weird how angelic she looked, standing there in my black sweater and her blue skinny jeans.

She was like some kind of custom-made-for-me angel.

Pulling my thoughts to a halt, a knock echoed through the room. I got up quickly, and rushed to the door at a pathetic speed. It was sick how much I hoped it was Annabeth, back from the beach, with Thalia, too.

I opened the door and got half my hope. Thalia was standing, Barbie-doll hate and all, in front of the door. She was small, but super mighty. She pushed past me and sat down on the edge of the bed.

I was still standing by the door when she said, "Sit down, Seaweed Brain."

The thing is, me and Thalia don't get along because I _hated_ getting bossed around and Thalia _loves_ bossing people around. I stiffened, but closed the door, then leaned on it.

"I'm fine here, thanks."

She let out a long sigh. "Fine. I'll make this quick. I brought you some Fitz leaves."

I raised my eyebrows, now moving towards her. "What are those?" I asked as I sat down on the chair across from her.

"Leaves that prevent the gods from watching you. Like a hide away from them," she smiled. "I thought with trip of yours, you and Annabeth would want some. How much've they been bugging you?"

I smiled wryly. "They've started. It's not so bad, though."

"Hmmm," she said, still gazing at me. "Well, take some. There's going to come a moment where you'll want to be completely out of the gods' surveillance."

She winked at me in a way that made me think Thalia saw a lot more than I knew. This made me, the moron, say, "How much do you know?"

She grinned again, but this time it was softer. "I know enough to want to puke. You two are idiots."

I almost growled. "Shut up, Thalia. Not the time to joke. Now, seriously. Don't say anything to Annabeth."

Her eyes began to blaze. "I'll say whatever I want to Annabeth."

I let out an angry stream of breath. "Thalia! Don't you see how _awkward_ that'll make her feel?"

She rolled her eyes, and then got up. She looked like she wanted to punch me. Instead she grabbed my collar and brought my face within inches of her angry one. Then she yelled, "She LIKES you, you idiot! Now, man up!"

Then, she let go and started for the door. I nearly shouted. "Wait!" I said. "Thalia! Please."

She slumped. Then, she slowly turned around. "You guys need to stop being so _stupid_. You'll let this pass! And then you'll be left with nothing…no one…"

For a moment, I could see this...vulnerability in Thalia. I could see how much she missed Luke, how much his passing hurt her. I was one of the only people who knew about that. Thalia. And Luke.

"I-I'm sorry," I sputtered. "I just, I don't know how to do it. You don't understand. I _love_ her, Thalia. I don't _like_ her."

She stared at me for a while. Then she said, "All the more reason to do it."

And then she left.

--

**Well, then. Whaddaya guys think?! I really like writing this chapter. Especially the part with Thalia. I always loved her character. I felt really bad…because she loved Luke so much, I could almost feel it. **

**Anyway, I hope you guys liked this. I'm sorry I'm still stretching this out, but I want you guys to get the full effect when they finally kiss and stuff. But, hey! We're making progress. And, okay. I'll give you a hint about the next chapter…**

…**they finally kiss.**

**Okay? Happy?**

**LOL. Well, now, if you want the next chappie I expect some reviews, mon amours.**

**Love; **

**S. Craze.**


	14. Chapter Fourteen: Heaven In My Arms

**Author's Note: Well, because of an AWESOME author, who totally updated their story because it was so utterly fantastic, I've updated early. The story is called "Forever starts with Fifteen Minutes."**

**PLEASE CHECK IT OUT! It deserves many, many, many reviewers. And readers. And lovers. ;-)**

**Anywho; here's the long awaited kiss. *giggle-giggle***

**I hope you guys like! :-D**

**PS: The Fitz leaves are not jokes. I said before I was thinking of incorporating some…serious love and I wasn't kidding. LOL. ;-)**

**--**

Percy's POV: 

After Thalia left, Annabeth came in. She smiled, but had this confused look on her face. "She left already?"

I nodded, sipping my Coke. _It's time to man up, man_, I thought. _Time to kiss the girl_.

Oh, no. Disney songs? This wasn't going to end well.

So, slowly, I got up and tried to say it; tried to say _Oh, Annabeth, I need to talk to you_. Instead I blurted, "We should go."

She raised her eyebrows; obviously, she had been expecting something else. I wondered…can she read minds? I mean, she sure as heck is smart enough.

But then, as my eyes roamed over to those eyebrows, I saw her chiseled cheekbones, her intelligent, sexy eyes. Her _incredibly_ tempting lips. Her soft long (so, so _long_) blonde mane. It was tied back in that messy ponytail, a few strands and her bangs in her face.

I wanted to kiss her then. Just a small touch, just to hold her, just for a moment. To slowly take her into my arms and kiss her eyelids, to press my lips to her cute ears, her nose, her cheeks. I wished I could just…kiss her.

But I didn't. The moment, as much as I wanted it to be, wasn't right.

Yet this weird streak of courage was in me. I was on fire from this…_courage_. I felt like I could take on the world!

But…behind that courage, I felt a single spot, dedicated to a single person, where I was so weak I could fall to my knees and worship, _love_, this person.

Guess who?

Annabeth's POV:

He was staring at me funny.

Ever since I walked through the door after talking to Thalia, who had left just as quickly as she came, Percy was watching me with this intensity. It wasn't hard to look at. Actually it was hard _not_ to look at. It intimidated me, which was weird since Percy is probably the last person who could do that. But this stare was…intimate. It made me shiver. It was like his sea-green orbs cut through me, staring right at my soul.

And, _somehow_, I still end up with unresolved sexual tension_._

I mean, I wonder, _why?_ Why can't I get a _grip_ on myself? Why was I so head-over-heels, let-me-make-out-with-you in love? Why _was_ I in love?

I answered that question almost immediately. I mean, it was _Percy_. He was our average American boy; heroic, cute, goofy, funny…

I could go on. I don't think either of us would like that. Much.

But going back to the present, he was still staring at me. So, I started packing. We said nothing, but it was okay. Silences between myself and Percy over there, were never difficult or awkward. They were just…too intimate.

And that scared me.

See, Thalia's little visit showed me a lot about myself. It was kind of funny. She just flashes a streak of black and blue, and figures out so much about myself I did not know.

I realized how scared of risking our (myself and Percy's) friendship, I was. I saw how much our intimacy scared us. And I saw how little I thought of myself. I was Athena's child! I wasn't ugly! What was I to think _I _didn't deserve _him_?

But…these thoughts, they were a lot _like_ me, but they didn't feel right. They were lies I fed to myself and other. They were fake, place-holders.

I didn't know if I deserved him. We were so different, it was difficult to tell. And he was…Percy. He was pure and good and totally naïve, which only made him cuter. When I was around him, I felt so..._mean_.

These thoughts kept me pretty occupied. They erased that horniness I'd been facing for the last while. I felt…nothing. Neutral. Zoned out. It was odd, but really let me think.

"So, we done?" asked Percy, watching me again. He'd been absorbed with some fish movie, _Shark Tale_ or something.

I scoffed, but my eyes smiled. "Like you helped."

He looked generally shocked. I laughed as he said, "Oh, please. I was here, giving you perfectly good entertainment."

We laughed and joked as we left the hotel, paying after leaving our room. I dumped our stuff in the back seats and slid into the front seat.

I was still wearing Percy's sweater and it was hiding my hands, making it seem even more over-sized than it already was. Part of it was rumpled and probably made me look like a hobo, but I didn't care. It smelt good, like a seabreeze; weirdly refreshing. And I was having _fun_. This neutral thing was great.

I looked out the window and saw that it was dark. I gazed out at the dark sea, the hint of the moon, sparkling. Then, I looked towards the hotel. I saw Percy coming our way, dodging cars, and smiling weakly as he blurted sorry when he almost got run over. I laughed.

He came into the car and sighed. He was looking out the window, too.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" I sighed. The sea grass was blowing with the wind, making me feel ticklish even though I was far away.

Percy was staring at me again. This time, his stare seemed rawer. I felt it and shivered. My neutrality disappeared. He finally said, "I've seen better."

I raised my eyes jokingly. "Really? Care to name anything? 'Cause it stumps me what's more beautiful than that."

I finally looked at him now. It felt oddly like a surrender. I let my guard down and I guess, I was giving him a shot. I think he realized that, too.

Because when my gaze locked with his, a wave of tenderness washed over me. He was so cute. He wasn't sexy now, he wasn't hot. He was just cute, brave, nice Percy.

And I just had to ruin the moment by bursting into tears.

It was just the fact that I loved him so much. I just burst into tears. Percy blinked a few times before going, "Annabeth? Oh god, I'm so sorry! I know, I'm such a creep, I've been staring at you all day…"

And he kept going at it. It only made him seem sweeter. And that sweetness, that _love_ that radiated off him, it was too much to bear. _He_ was too much to bear.

I wished I could run away. I almost did. But then Percy put his arms around me. And like a drug (taken once, and then your addicted), felt that previous strength, the muscle, the comforting sound and warmth of his breathing. So, I jumped into his lap and kept on crying. He was holding me tight, like a child, rocking back and forth.

"Annabeth," he murmured. His lips were in my hair and I felt my gut clench, only in a good way. Slowly, desire colored the spots where tenderness had been. I turned to Percy, my eyes wary, but my lips parted.

This was the moment.

Percy's POV:

It was time.

She jumped into my lap after a while, crying still. I was confused but focused on one thing. _Make her feel better_.

I wished I could though. The more I tried, the more she cried. This was insane. It was so…not Annabeth. But I liked it. It was tender and girly and soft. It was nothing like her, but I felt like I was in on a secret now, Annabeth's secret.

I curled her into my arms and held her in my arms, murmuring her name into her hair. The time came when she looked up at me, her eyes wet, her lips, oh her _lips, _parted_. _They looked so smooth, so soft, so plush. I felt a lurch of desire, tried to shake it off, but couldn't. And in her eyes, for the first time, I felt like I saw the same thing.

But as I leaned in, I felt like I had before. Tender. Soft. Loving.

I wanted to be the best as I could be. I wanted to give her a kiss that would describe how I felt about her. I wanted to show her just how much (Yes, I'm going to say this again) I loved her.

Just an inch from her lips, I felt her warm breath touch my lips. It was hot breath, but it didn't turn me on. I giving her a chance to turn away. She didn't.

So, I did it. I manned up and I softly, ever so softly, pressed my lips to hers.

It was like a grenade of tingles exploded over my lips. Her hot breath, her smooth, not-too-wet lips didn't do much at first, but slowly, I began to take lead. I remembered my previous thoughts. I turned her around and held her properly, wrapping my arms around her fully. I pressed into her lips only, like the gentlemen I was (_yeah, right, _thought the voice at the back of my head. I ignored it). I suckled her lips, their lemon-honey taste all over my mouth and kissed her again and again and again…

I was lost in her. It was everything I thought it would be only so much sweeter. But the temperature increased as I kissed the corner of her mouth and she let out a moan. I felt like I had been lit, my flame (as cheesy as that sounds) had been lit. I kept kissing her. She was moaning and whimpering in my mouth, against my neck.

It was madness now. I kissed her cheeks, her eyelids, her jaw, her cute little ears. I grazed her earlobe, making this hotter, rougher. I felt my hands moved to hold her hips, since she kept arching all over me and moaning.

I felt like I was on fire. Most of my blood was on fire and was headed south. Annabeth was slowly starting to feel it too because she was making this a helluva lot better for me when she shifted in my lap, straddling my legs. It was my turn to moan.

But she kept on arching, despite was her moving and turning did to me. She chuckled in my mouth, smiled against my lips, from the moment she felt the lump in my pants. She wasn't head that way, she wasn't _that_ bad_, _but she sure as hell knew what she did to me.

I felt her fingers fist my hair. This was heaven. Heaven in my fucking _arms_.

And then I heard a knock.

And then, when I jumped, broke away, I saw.

Athena was standing outside our window.

**--**

**Okay. Don't kill me. Please. I awarded you didn't I? I gave you the kiss. Please don't shoot me (with arrows OR guns. Or both). I prommmmmmise, I'm gonna update soon. :-D**

**PS. Please tell me what you thought. I've never really tried writing lemon. *blush* I really want to know what…makes it better. *more blush***

**PPS. I LOVE YOU GUYS, BTW! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE BEAUTIFUL, TOUCHING FANTASTIC REVIEWS! :-D**

**I lessthan3 u! ;-)**


	15. Chapter Fifteen: The Goddess & Her Pride

**So…it has been a while, no? A very looong while. ;-) I put you guys on a cruel, cruel cliffhanger. But no more! **

**Anywho; I won't keep you here. **

**Enjoy!**

Percy's POV:

When I saw Athena, you could say I was scared. I would say I was absolutely fucking _terrified_.

The goddess of war and wisdom had a fairly blank look on her face, but her eyes. _Her eyes_. I felt like her anger was seeping through them, and like her, was ready to break the glass and twine its arms around my-

"_Mother?" _Annabeth's voice was shocked, yeah, but I could hear the anger behind it. I probably would have chuckled if I wasn't so paralyzed by fear, that, too, by that very mother she was calling. Annabeth, I knew, was the _only_ person, even in the Athena cabin, who stood up to her mother. Some thought it was stupid. I thought it was a) super brave; b) super cool; and c) super hot.

Annabeth was out of my lap by now, but as reality began to set in, and I could think of something _other_ than how insanely realistic the image of Athena hacking my head off (in my head) was, a few after-shivers of desire jolted me. I shoved them aside though. Athena's eyes just turned up in I-hate-you, you-daughter-kissing-son-of-a-bitch. I think she sensed my thoughts.

After scrambling myself together, I jumped out of the car, but Annabeth was ahead of me.

"Mother," she said tightly, bowing. Athena gave her a smile, one just as tight as Annabeth's voice had been, and then turned to me.

I didn't look at her eyes. I was scared if I did I would turn into a ball of fire. And my absolute _moronic_ brain had decided now, staring at the tarmac ground was a good time to start thinking about that kiss.

_Had it really happened? Did I really just kissed ANNABETH?_

Somehow, I was glad I did. It was everything I hoped it would be. Her lips were so soft, her body was so firm, such perfect weight against my-

"Enough," said Athena. I gulped and looked up. And what I saw, you could _say_ it gave me courage. I just say that it kind of pissed me off.

She looked demonic almost. Face was ablaze, her eyes torches. She had sensed my thoughts. Again.

She looked like she was tensing herself to sock me one, to just _PUNCH_ me. But what angered me was her sneer. There was only a hint of it, but it looked like she was mocking me. Her mouth and eyes had this smirk to them…I felt anger bubbling its way up.

Annabeth, however, acted. I just stood there, thinking.

"Yes, mother," she said, her eyes matching her mom's. Together they were what the high guy walking on the street would call _hell_. "_Enough_. What do you want?"

Athena's mouth dropped. Then when she locked her jaw, her body looking like she was going to explode; a disaster of goddess, woman and all things angry.

Aka; hell.

"What do I _want_?" she asked. She didn't need to scream. Her word penetrated us (me, mostly) in a way that her yelling would have taken away from. Fear was creeping up my spine; throwing its blinding blanket over my head, eyes, face.

"What I want, Annabeth Chase, is to speak with Percy. _Alone_," she said, her voice shaking with anger. I was shaking, too. Only _I_ was shaking from being the object, the _reason_, for one angry goddess. A goddess who could not only burn me alive, but was probably the only one in Olympus who could convince them that some flying pig did it.

In short: I was in for hell. Hell in the form of a beautiful woman.

What else was new?

Annabeth's POV:

What. In. Hell. Was. She. Doing. Here?

I could feel the rage, the _anger_, make me grit my teeth. The anger made me want to scream and to tackle something. It made me twitchy. It made me _mad_.

I could remember nothing, feel nothing but it. Percy was staring at Athena, his mouth slack his eyes screaming. Athena looked a lot like a panther, ready to strike her prey.

Hell would freeze over before I let that happen.

"The only person YOU are speaking to, Athena," I said, my voice shaking even more than hers had. She would _not_ talk to Percy without me! Especially when I _knew_ it would be more Athena taking Percy away from me forever than _talking_. "Is _me_."

She turned to me now. Her hair and all was billowing slightly. Something she _thought_ might make her seem scarier. But I wasn't afraid. I was just… angry.

I could feel her thoughts. They were almost send, like an SMS, to my head.

_How dare she_…

Yuck. What a bitchy, rude, vulgar, horrible, DESPICABLE, ugly, abnormally coward-like, _DISGUSTING_ remark. She made me _sick_. She was my _mother?_ Hell, she wasn't. Not _NOW_.

"So be it," she said, turning her heel, walking already.

_Egocentric, self-absorbed, rude, attention-seeking…_ I thought. The tirade just went on and on. I would NOT follow her! I would wait until she turned around…then…

An idea hit me, flat on the face. I grinned, but quickly covered it, as Athena, now a few meters away, turned. And, then I turned to Percy.

He was staring at me, then Athena, and now me. His previous extreme scared form was now gone, replaced but an exasperated look. Like he was expecting this, _used_ to this.

As usual, he looked good. _But his hair was a bit messier from…_my thoughts trailed off, remembering.

Oh my god. I had made out with Percy. _I _had made out with _Percy._

And, then, I felt those after-shivers. They were jolts, ripples of desire. I want to felt that fire again, to burn in his touch again.

So, just as in my plan, I moved forward, a look of determination in my eyes and kissed Percy again. I pressed my lips to his, giving him a hard, long kiss, even sucking his bottom lip a little while I was at it. And, damn it, it felt like _heaven_.

Then, smiling only halfly, I turned Athena, who looked _aghast_, and walked away, past my mom and towards the beach, where I would be confronted and confronting the goddess of Wisdom and War.

_What an egocentric, hubris-filled title, _I thought. _Hubris_. That I didn't think about. The likeness between Athena and me was there, but wasn't _that_ prominent.

I hope.

Percy's POV:

That was the most amazing, most random, most _Annabeth-like _kiss I had ever gotten.

She had stridden up to me, grabbed my head and kissed me like there was no one there. Her lips were hot and I could _feel_ her anger, slowly turning lustful.

And, I had to say, she was _so_ good at it.

I could feel her kiss everywhere in my body, even if the only places she was really touching me where the sides of my face and her lips to my own.

I felt a bit lightheaded and my entire body was exhilarated. I wanted more. Almost a carnal, deep hunger begged me for more. _More_.

Her lips were smooth, but the way they worked was rough, deep. The kiss lasted about three seconds, but damn it, it was the best three seconds of my _life_. And when she sucked on my bottom lip…

Well, let's just say that I felt like, right now, I'm going to erupt into a mass of on-end (in a good way) goosebump. When she kissed me, my knees almost gave away and my chest suddenly felt hollow. Then, like it was filling, filling…filling with this tingly, fiery stuff that was higher, better than anything I'd ever felt before.

_Ecstasy_, they called it.

Annabeth was walking away now. Athena had already vaporized, probably at the spot where she would meet Annabeth. I wondered what they would talk about. _Me?_ I wondered. _Probably._

I wondered what I would say to Annabeth when she came back. We'd both had our moments. Had she kissed just to make Athena angry? Or was there something more?

I decided that I'd have to know. I just…had to.

_(About ½ an hour later)_

I was sitting in the car, listening to _Stairway to Heaven_ by Led Zeppelin. I had given up thinking of Annabeth and just sat there, listening to my tunes.

Annabeth surprised me, coming to my side of the car, the door being open there and saying; "You listen toLed Zeppelin?"

I jumped, shocked. I turned to her, and for about half a second, was locked in her gaze again, but let go, nodding. "Yeah. It was a good band."

"Hmmmm."

"This song is my favorite," I continued. _Why_ was I feeling the need to explain myself? "Its beautiful."

"Hmmmm."

_Why _was she replying like this?!

Annabeth had on her _thinking look_. Her face was compassionate, a bit lost but strangely beautiful. Her eyes widened so much that they took up most of her face. Her chiseled cheeks were longer, her lips rosier, her skin a light tan, only visible in a few shimmering moonlight strips.

I felt drawn to her, but held back. This was _Annabeth_. If I tried to be too upfront, she would _never_ talk about it.

She climbed into the passenger seat and buckled up. I had now shut my door and was watching the sky before turning to her, my lips wanting to smile for no reason. _She's back, _I thought.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Nothing," she said, her eyes shading in a downcast way for just a moment. "She wasn't there. She left."

"Oh."

"Too much pride at risk."

"Oh."

She smiled a bit, muttering something about seaweed, shaking her head. I guessed it was my nickname. It didn't bother me. I was just glad she finally smiled, even if only a bit.

I slowly started the car and drove out of the parking lot. These last few minutes had felt like hours, the sun had even, ironically, set during it. The sky looked purple, slowly shifting black. It was beautiful.

"You never did answer my question," said Annabeth as we started driving on the main road.

I raised my eyebrows. "What question?"

She rolled her eyes. A smile was coming back. But her voice was still a little flatter, less…_Annabeth-y_ than usual. "Seaweed Brain. I asked you what you thought was more beautiful than that beach."

Now, I smiled. The answer felt weirdly easy.

"You."

She smiled.

**Awwww. *****heart warms***

**Aren't they so cute? I hope you don't think THAT was a cliffy. Because it wasn't! At least I hope so. Anyway…I really liked writing this chapter. I feel like there's just enough of everything, you know? Love, hate, anger, lust, and whatever. **

**Please review! Just anything. It can be ANYTHING! LOL. Just…please? I'll love you forever and ever.**

**;-)**

**(Criticism is welcome. And I know I have typos. Sorry about that. Just…you know. I just write. The rest I fix later!)**

**- S.**

**PS: Later this week I will probably fix up ch 14. It was nice but a bit tweaked. I just...need to smooth it out. ;-)**

**PPS: I made a blog, so check it out if you can! Its pretty random. I just write what I think. (****.)**


	16. Chapter Sixteen: Awake, Yet Not So Awake

**Author's Note: Hi! Well…it's been a bit, hasn't it? LOLs. **

**Anywho; Enjoy the chappie.**

Annabeth's POV:

Percy's sweet.

I never thought I would ever say that. Annoying? Frequently.

Obnoxious? Sometimes.

Clueless? A lot.

Brave? Sure.

But _sweet_?

I'd never thought I'd say it, but hell. Percy is _the_ sweetest person I've ever met. He's even kind of romantic. My thoughts drifted, going straight to the spot they'd been at for the last three days. Thoughts of that kiss…thoughts of those words…him calling me beautiful.

It was a flake, a little tiny bit, of what I could get from someone else, anyone else. But coming from _Percy_ it was ten times whatever anyone else could give.

I remembered the way he smiled, a soft smile, when he said it. A single word, a single syllable, too. He'd spoken in single syllable-words then a lot, now that I thought of it.

_You_.

I smiled, bliss (naïve, silly bliss) filling me. I felt tingly and cuddly and so girly that if I saw myself I'd puke. Or walk away. Or give myself a lecture on feminism and how we should be tougher.

Ugh. I'm so annoying.

Right now, I sat in the car, waiting outside of McDonalds waiting for the idiot I'm in love with. He's buying some fat-engrossed burger with an equally horrible drink on the side. _Coke_.

I giggled. As long as I'd known Percy, he had had this addiction for all things caffeine. It was funny to see him hopped up on the stuff. Kind of like very hyper, very awake, very ADHD Percy. And his dyslexia? Notched up by ten percent to twenty percent. He would read a sign that said _Chinese Palace_, and say "Sense…chi…palace? Annabeth! I think that's a tae kwan do place!"

And I would look at him and go, "Are you drunk?"

He would grin because he knew that, though it sounds mean, it isn't. Percy knew that I was the smarter one and, though he was pretty naïve, he knew he was on the demigod version of a sugar high.

Thinking of demigods, as I sat there, I wondered…why hadn't we be attacked by monsters yet? Especially with Percy being a son of one of the Big Three. I cursed myself. _Don't think about it, _I thought. _Just go on flowing. It's probably some of the gods' work. A break, complete with no monster for a few weeks. Alle-freaking-lujah! I should be happy._

I decided to push the thought away, not to jinx our luck, and then began thinking of Athena, my mother. Thought of gods always led here. I was still angry. She was my mother and at times, most times, we got along. But when she showed up at that very moment, I couldn't help but know she had probably been watching that stupid TV Hephaestus made to stalk us all. It really was a pain.

Note to self: go to Olympus and trash stalking-the-kids TV.

And the way she didn't show up at that beach? Made me sit there all alone for half an hour? Made me face those…_thoughts_ all alone? Fear going back to Percy? Resolve going to Percy?

What mother leaves her daughter? Fights with her when she can sense her daughter needs her so much at that time? It was coldhearted. And showing up right at that moment? It made me BOIL. I hadn't been that angry since…a long time ago.

Slowly, the thoughts moved away (after torturing me) and the warm, thick wind and leather-y smeel and feel of the car took over and began lulling me to sleep. I felt my lids get heavier and heavier until I was softly slipping away…out of grasp…

The last thing I remembered was hearing a sigh.

Percy's POV:

She was sleeping when I got back.

Annabeth was curled into her seat, her face mushed sideways into the head rest of the passenger seat. Her hair, tied back into a bun today, was beginning to find its way out and a few strands were hanging loosely, framing her intelligent face.

I sigh, smiling a bit. She looked cute, sleeping like that, mouth kind of open, snoring little, girly snores. I almost laughed but thought better of it. I opened the door as quietly as I could and put all the food on my seat. I shut the door just as quietly. And breathed deeply, cleansing myself with air.

The last few days had been… odd. Annabeth and I talked, sure, but there were hours when we didn't say a word. It wasn't awkward, but felt…strange. New, in a way.

I was feeling kind of tired, zoned out. My body ached for her touch, but I didn't want it at the same time. I felt emotional, hormonal even, like I'd given up. I had kissed her, yes. Had we talked about it yet? Were we _ever_ going to talk about it?

No. Probably not.

I wished that we did. What was the point? What was the point of my loving her long blonde hair, her deep, dark grey orbs, when I could barely say three words to her lately?

I hated this quiet, but I kind of…_cherished_ it. Annabeth had always made me feel hot, burning, tempting desire. Now she was making me feel serene, calm like an ocean. It was weird that liking someone could do this to me.

When I got up off leaning on the door, I walked around and to Annabeth's side of the car. I slowly eased open the door and stared at her. What was I supposed to do? Pick her up and put her in the back? Wake her up?

I made my decision, but grudgingly. Annabeth hadn't touched me since that kiss. What would she think if she woke to see me carrying her around?

_Perv_. Of course she would think "_perv_"_. _What girl wouldn't think that?

Slowly, I slipped my arm under her knees and the other just below her shoulders, bridal style. She was weirdly light. Not like paper light, but her weight didn't cause me to strain or something. I just…picked her up.

I kicked the door shut behind me as quietly as possible, but it didn't work. I should have known that the Wise Girl was a light sleeper. She looked up at me and cursed. She mumbled, "Damn dreams. I gotta wake up."

I grinned at her a little, amused. She thought she was dreaming? Was this the first time she's dreamt of me or has there been more? I felt a very unguy-like flutter of hope.

"I gotta wake up," she whined, but instead, buried herself closer to me. Her hands were now limpy trying to hold on the my neck, but she couldn't. I wondered what made her so tired.

"Annabeth," I said, trying to be as gentle as I could. "You're not dreaming. You fell asleep. I was putting you in the backseat so you wouldn't hurt your neck, sleeping weirdly, I mean."

Straight answer for a girl who likes them. I didn't mention how much I loved the smell of her Tide-laundry-addicting-detergent smell and the softness of her face in the crook of my neck. I didn't mention the hotness of her breath on my neck, a hotness that was starting to erase that soft, sweet, vacant ways we had had going on for the last three days. It was being replaced by a turned-on Percy.

She looked up at me, or tried, but was too tired. Her eyelids fluttered, but she couldn't hold them up. She starting snoring on my chest.

I grinned. _What an Annabeth-ish move,_ I thought.

I placed her softly on the back seat. I turned to get a red blanket for her and tuck her in. Just before shutting the door to go to the front and grab my food to eat inside, I tucked a strand of hair behind her ears.

"Sweet dreams, Annabeth."

**Okay. Not a good chapter. I know, I know. But it was a filler type. I felt bad for not posting for so long…**

**But! Since this isn't so good, a BETTER one will be coming very, very soon. You know, to make up for this one being bad. But you guys had some questions…and I tried to answer all of them in this.**

**Review! You know how I love getting those. And how much I LOVE getting criticism, you know, something to work with.**

**Please, please, please, please, please review? I promise I'll get the chapter up sooner with every review. Let's put it this way. 1 review = minus one day. But not the one sentence reviews. Me no likey those. **

**;-)**

**Take care, my lovely readers. I will have girly, Aphrodite fun-esque things up for you within 3 days. I hope.**

**- S.**


	17. Chapter Seventeen: Barbie Time

**I said I'd update quick! Here you go. **

**Inspired by Taylor Swift songs, because she's great, no matter what anyone says. Her songs are cheesy, but hell. Who **_**cares**_**? They're relatable.**

Percy's POV:

Annabeth wandered into McDonald's about an hour later. She was looking lost and messy, her hair looking like a haystack and her shirt rumpled, hitching up a bit. I gulped.

"Hey, sleepy head," I said, grinning at her. She turned her half-lidded eyes at me and gave me a look that said shut-the-hell-up-I'm-so-not-in-the-mood. I laughed.

She yawned, stretching her arms over her head and groaning. Her shirt hitched up even more giving me a plain view of her flat stomach. I start leaning forward, my hand twitching, wishing for me to just reach out, just lightly skim my finger over her skin there, right by the waistbands of the jeans she wore. I could _see_ myself leaning over and taking her face in my hands and kissing her like I did in the car. But this time, rougher. I had liked that part. That part when Annabeth had fisted her hands into my hair, making me moan and get so overly turned on…

I flushed. I looked up. Just a second had passed with me and those thoughts. And Annabeth still_, still_, noticed nothing.

Damn it.

She walked over and slumped into a chair throwing open her legs and sitting in a very un-ladylike way. I grinned at her, amused. "Why so tired?" I asked, slurping the last bits of my coke.

She shrugged and rubbed her eyes, trying to shake her head to wake up. "Ugh," she finally said, throwing her head back and leaving her neck totally exposed. "I'm so tired. Why the heck am I so tired?"

I shrugged now. "We've been doing nothing for a few days. I was gonna ask you…what do you want to do now?"

She perked up a bit. I held back a smile. Anything that needed thought, Annabeth was up for it. I was the exact opposite.

"How about we go to Utah? I hear there are some awesome skiing slopes there…or we could go to Florida! Disney land! I've always wanted to see how they built that big castle."

I raised my eyebrows. "You want to go to _Disneyland_?"

She blushed cutely. Her intelligent eyes threw a couple of daggers at me. I grinned wider. She, then, leaned over and punched my shoulder, harder than usual.

I groaned, then whined; "Why'd ya do _that_?"

"You know why."

I chuckled. "Remind me."

She rolled her eyes. "Because you are a total dork. Remember?"

I grinned again, from ear to ear. She smiled back at me, finally. Her face was starting to grow to be alive again, lighting up with her smartness and just _damn_ good looks.

"But, anyway, do you really want to go there? Disneyland, I mean?" Please say no. Please say no. Please don't take me through that again.

I had gone to Disneyland a few weeks ago with Rachel. We had no fun. She claimed that there were no rides there (lie) and that we should just go straight to the big palace thing. I agreed. It looked like that was gonna happen again.

"No need to worry, little cousin," said a light, girly voice from behind me. "I'm here to save you!"

I turned around, just glancing at Annabeth: her eyes were wide with shock, annoyance and something else. I couldn't put my finger on it. So, I kept on turning and behind me, stood the Goddess of Love.

And, then, I knew what the look in Annabeth's eye had been. Fear.

We both knew why she was here. She only ever came to me once before for any other reason.

And, hell, it was a _bad_ reason to come. **(I was gonna end it here…but I treated you guys to more! So enjoy it. This is gonna be one helluva long chappie.)**

Annabeth's POV:

I was so tired. My eyes felt like they weighed a hundred pounds and the idiot in front of me was trying to be funny.

Honestly, yes, I loved, Percy. But if you asked me, Annabeth, what do you think of Percy right at this second?

I would say he's a dork. Because, truthfully, he was. My Perce was a dork through and through.

The thought made my lips twitch.

Right now, I heard a voice interrupt my conversation with Percy about Disneyland, and immediately found the source.

Aphrodite.

_Ah, shit_, I thought. The goddess of love only came around for one reason.

To play Barbie with myself and Percy over there.

Of course, she would make us look good (okay. Understatement. I remember at the last event Hades' birthday, Percy was in a dark button down shirt with dark trousers and black shoes. I wanted to take him right there, he looked so delicious) and take us to some god/goddess event or party. I wondered what it what it was this time.

Percy and I got out of our chairs quickly and bowed. She waved us away. "Not here!" she giggled. "People might get _suspicious_."

_Ugh,_ I thought. _She probably thinks that's a big word_. I almost groaned. I had really low tolerance for Aphrodite. I glanced at Percy and he gave me a small smile, knowing.

She saw the exchange between us and I could the smile, even some tears, in her eyes. She said, "I just came to invite you two to my very exclusive beauty party."

I was taken off guard. Did we just become part of some…clique of the goddess of Love? "Exclusive?"

She winked at me with a still slightly tear filled eye. "Only for my favorite couple. You two made me cry with that whole you're-more-beautiful-than-a-twilight-beach."

I stared at her my mouth hanging open. My eyes were popping out, and at the back of my mind, I guess I looked like a fish. "_What_?"

She smiled. "No time to waste. I need to make _both_ of you look gorgeous."

I smiled a bit still confused, but then heard Percy say, "Oh..kay?"

He was staring at Aphrodite, his brows furrowed. He looked so cute. If only I could just lean over and…

I heard Aphrodite giggle. I looked up a blushed brightly. _She can sense your thoughts, Annabeth. Can't you just shut it about Percy for two minutes?_

She giggled again, giving me a knowing glint in her eyes. I felt my stomach drop. Damn it. I didn't need Aphrodite knowing about this stupid ordeal I was going through.

"Well…"I finally sighed. "I guess we had better get going. When is this beauty thing? And who is going to be there?"

She began ranting, _bubbling_, happily. "Well, I keep it small. Just some of the available gods. And a few of my children who are especially important these days. It's today. And it is celebrated to cherish my beauty," she glowed at the last sentence, gloating a bit.

"Oh. Um, we should better going."

She nodded, perked up and ready. I only slumped some more.

_(About ½ a minute later)_

After the sucking darkness went away, I breathed deeply, cleansing my lungs with oxygen. I stumbled my first few steps on god knows what, god knows where, until Percy, someone _used_ to traveling in weird ways, grabbed my elbow to steady me. I stopped stumbling and looked up slowly. Our eyes locked. I shivered deep, deep inside of me. Aphrodite let out a small sniffle.

"So…beautiful…must…beauty…," she whimpered, wiping away her tears with this small pink handkerchief.

I raised my eyes and looked back to Percy. He grinned at me like a fool. I rolled my eyes. Aphrodite howled again.

I didn't get it. Why was she so touched by us? Percy and I acted normal, witty as usual. Somehow, Aphrodite took small things like the brush of my skin with Percy's causing me to go up in very self-aware flames and our eyes locking, straight to heart. I felt my heart stutter. I think her feelings might've started affecting me. Or just the still-in-my-bones chill Percy's eyes in mine always gave me.

Once we were better, Aphrodite fanning herself off and beginning to walk, she split me and Percy up. "Annabeth," she had said, "Go to the down the hall and take the door on the right. Percy, do the same, but door on the left, okay?"

We nodded and headed down the hall. Aphrodite vaporized, probably going to find dresses or something. We walked in soft silence. Only one thought was touching me. _I have to say bye to Percy for at least 5 hours_ (Yes, that is how ridiculously long Aphrodite took. Right now, it was only 2. The beauty thing started at eight)_._

Ever since the beginning of our little…journey, Percy and I had spent, basically, every minute of the day together. The longest time we were apart was an hour. But that was only when I took extra long in one of those hotels we'd stopped at.

But, right then, the thought of saying bye-bye to him for a few _hours_ hurt me. It was stupid and overly feminine in ways that I _hated_ but was true. I suddenly craved to be in his mouth-watering embrace, his light touch, to replay to the time I'd woken up on his long, hard body.

Right now, I gazed at him. We'd reached the door and were now staring at each other like idiots. I could feel his gaze deep inside, a knowing thing, like he knew how I felt. And he felt the same.

It was strange, so to lighten the mood, I said; "I'll see you if I come out alive, Seaweed Brain."

His solemn expression broke, his face breaking out into a big, beautiful smile. His voice was oddly soft when he said, "Bye, Annabeth."

I didn't go in, even when he was out of sight, behind the door. I just stood there, my eyes filling with those _idiotic_ tears. There was no reason to be sad! I was being ridiculous! I had gotten _way_ too accustomed to having Percy all to myself.

Wait. That thought came out wrong.

So, I turned around and stomped thorough the damned right door. Once inside, I saw that it was a little beauty studio, with a huge door that probably lead to a little thing I call hell in my house. Other girls, _normal_ girls, call it a closet. Full of _clothes_. Unbelievably pretty, skimpy, fancy, uncomfortable clothes.

Behind me, I saw three girls, minions of Aphrodite. Probably her assistants. The one with red hair smiled at me, "Annabeth Chase?"

I nodded glumly, still not over being away from Percy. "Welcome! We're here to finish up the first little thing," she said, her voice becoming a squeal after, "Mani-Pedi!"

I groaned, but trudged over to the chair and closed my eyes.

These were going to be _long_ few hours.

Percy's POV:

Why was leaving her so difficult?

After walking through the left door, I leaned against it and tried to breathe through my flared nostrils. Didn't work. So, I just slumped against the door and mourned.

It was sad, being together for so long, only to be ripped apart by some damn makeover session. I wanted to hold her, to kiss her so badly outside this door, it was unbelievable. My eyes had melted and my heart was gone, gone deep, deep inside the gorgeous girl in front of me's pocket.

Right now, I was getting up. My chest ached, like it had been torn but I ignored it. I got across the hall and sat on the spinning chair in the center of the blue studio filled with little knick-nacks that looked pretty lethal to me.

"Percy," I heard a voice behind me. "I'm going to fix you up first."

I turned and saw the Goddess of Love, smiling widely at me, a pair of scissors in one hand and shampoo in the other.

I cringed. These were going to be a _long_ few hours.

**Grin! Well. Review. I'm not very happy with you guys…you review a lot less. And, risking sounding like a bitch here, I need more. **

**It's not very fair that I write you this then update quickly and you do nothing. Right?**

**Now, go!**

**Review! LOL.**


	18. Chapter Eighteen: Holding My Breath

**I loved writing this chappie. SO much fun. **

**PS: The super-quick update was for a certain someone. Though they did make my day TODAY, You all make my days every other day. (?)**

**Anywho; Enjoy!**

Percy's POV:

She pushed me into one of the chairs with the washing-hair things attached. I squeezed my eyes shut. I hated get ready with Aphrodite. My father, however, told me once that all the gods go through it. Aphrodite is a Daddy's girl, and with Zeus as her father she gets just about _anything_.

Spoiled woman.

"Percy," she said, shooting me a look.

I looked up, but kinda knew what she was gonna say.

"I heard you."

I smiled a bit, my face breaking out into one of those exhilarated smiles. I leaned my head back as Aphrodite made her way back and used her long, fingers to wash the black mess on my head.

She conditioned and rinsed and whatever, and I lay there, wondering what Annabeth was doing, not listening to the rant Aphrodite was going off on. Something about cuteness. And me.

"Just the way you _look_ at her is soooo cute!" she bubbled, squealing a bit. "I feel like a brand new person, so lovey-dovey with you guys! Its so classical! Remember how I said you guys match up to…"

And so it continued. I just listened, nodding and smiling at times. I had a feeling she knew I had no clue what she was talking about. I don't think she cared, though.

After drying my hair, Aphrodite let it go and said something about dealing with it later. Then she went through these big black doors on the other side of the room. She came out a few minutes later, holding a big white bag, a long one. I guessed that it was a suit.

"So," I finally said, wondering about something. "When does the event start?"

She smiled. She looked pretty excited. I knew that Aphrodite could be a bitch, but she was a generally good person (god?) at heart. "In about three hours. But I have to put this here. At around six, change. Then I'll come back and you and I will go. Ares is going to escort Annabeth. And, thank you." She winked, knowingly.

I blushed a bit from the thank you, cursing that I could keep the yapper in my head shut. But soon after I cooled down, from the blush, I _really_ heard what she said.

Ares? Annabeth? Escort? I almost growled. I think the "neutral" phase was over. I felt like I was going to scream. Instead, I turned to Aphrodite, looked her hard in the eyes, flaming internally. This was _not_ going to fucking happen.

"No," I said. I felt like I was gonna blow up. Annabeth? With ARES?

Hell-fucking-no.

She giggled a bit. "Ah, jealousy. So cute. But, no. My decision is final."

I clenched my jaw. _Fuck no_, I thought, staring hard into her eyes. She had her bitchy-don't-screw-with-me look now.

"Don't mess with me, little boy. I'm treating you. Now, stop being a pussy and go play those video games while I go get Annabeth ready." Then the goddess of love vanished.

I let out a growl. I stomped my way to the couch. I _hated_ this. I wanted to scream and shout and cry all at the same time. I was torn between a billion things.

But guess what I felt most?

Jealousy.

I felt _green_ with envy. To see her, _Annabeth_; gorgeous, smart, beautiful Annabeth, on the arm of a dick like Ares. Not that I was any better…but still.

I threw myself on to the couch and shoved my head into my hands. My head was pounding, my movements were furious and I couldn't help but feel like I was going to start crying in a second.

My nostril flared and I let out another snarl when I thought of her, beautified, touching Ares, holding his arms. I wanted to throw myself in front of her, to protect her from him. He didn't deserve to touch her! Not at _all_. She was too good for him. She was too fucking good for _anyone_. Even me.

My head still pounded. I felt myself break inside. I wanted to _kill _him. I wanted to rip that bloody coward into little godly bits.

I wanted _blood_.

Annabeth's POV:

After the manicures and pedicure, I felt kind of clean.

Okay. Secret: I didn't _really_ hate this. It was kind of relaxing.

I moved towards the table with the facial-y looking stuff and sat down. A woman with long black hair sat in front of me, her face beautiful, fierce like a hawk.

"Hello," she said, smiling only slightly. "I'm Arya. What would you like? The full cleansing or the chocolate treatment?"

A voice I recognized way too much said from behind me, "Give her both."

I looked back. It was Aphrodite. Of course.

Arya smiled at me, then made me lie back on the long table. She did this _amazing_ thing where her hands pressed circles into my face, in all the right spots. Then she dribbled the liquid, lukewarm chocolate all over my face and let it sit for a while. It felt so soothing, so sweet, so warm. I bubbled internally.

_Ugh_, I thought. _I'm turning into an Aphrodite Girl._

I heard a giggle and opened an eye to see the Goddess of Love staring at me, smile on her face. I ignored it.

After I had my face cleansed and felt fresh and so, _so_…clean, I turned to Aphrodite. As far as I knew, the relaxing stuff was over. She heard my thoughts and mirrored them by saying, "Time to get to work."

I trotted behind her to the big white doors, cowering a bit. _The closet_. It probably held all this stuff…all this skimpy, girl stuff.

I wanted to run, screaming.

Aphrodite giggled at me one last time before turning around and flinging open the door. She flung a bit too much, and the door hit me smack in the middle of my face.

She screamed. I groaned. "I didn't ruin the facial did I?" asked Aphrodite.

I shrugged and turned to her. She let out a sigh of relief. "Barely a scratch," she said, smiling again. "Your pretty _and_ durable."

_And now I feel like a toy_.

We walked into the closet and I saw rows and rows of dresses all shapes and sized. But most of my attention was on a few special racks that had been moved front. There were about a hundred dresses, and I could guess that _this_ rack had been picked for me.

Aphrodite squealed. She grabbed a strapless light pink dress and threw it at me, jumping around excitedly. "Put it on! Put it on!"

I went into the little changing cubbie and stripped off my clothes. I pulled on the dress and immediately realized it was wrong. The shape was too square at the bust and it was too…girly for my taste. There was even a little bow about the waist. **(Picture on Profile)**

I went outside, dress still on, padding towards the goddess barefoot. She turned to me and looked at me up and down.

"No," she said, her eyes concentrated and her mouth pursed in displease. "Here," she grabbed a random, huge red thing from the rack and threw it at me. I almost fell over, it weigh so much. "Try that one."

And so I did. I tried it on and glanced in the mirror. It was huge, blood red, with a frame under the skirt. And the cleavage was far, _far_ too deep. It looked weirdly like one of those pilgrim dresses, because of the white ruffles in the front. **(Picture on Profile)**

I walked out, grouchy, and dryly said, "I look like a slutty pilgrim."

She smiled widely at that and nodded, grabbing another dress. "You're a difficult one, Annie. Now go and try _this_. It'll look nice because of your legs."

I shrugged not knowing what to say. She had handed me a tiny, flimsy little piece of light yellow cloth. I walked back to my changing cubbie and slipped out of the pilgrim dress and into the puke-y yellow thing.

I walked out, angry now. "No," I said.

The dress was freaking _miniscule_. It barely covered my ass and it was baby doll-style. **(Picture on Profile) **It was way too tight and made me look like an absolute _slut_.

No way in _hell_ was I wearing it.

I barely looked at the dress Aphrodite gave me this time; I trudged back to the damn changing cubbie and changed. But when I saw myself in the mirror, I knew it was perfect.

I walked out slowly, and watched as Aphrodite's eyes bulged out a bit, and then she smiled. "Perfect," she said, smirking. "I am _so_ good."

I laughed with her, feeling so happy. The _dress_ made me happy. It fell to the floor and was midnight blue. It covered my back but there was a single slit, making it elegant. The front was halter, but in a loose, classy way. It made me look…like a _goddess_. It wasn't too tight, but wasn't too loose. **(Picture on Profile)**

I loved it.

I twirled in front of the mirror, being very unlike myself. It was just the way the dress made me _look_. It ascended my long legs, made my skin glow inside out. I looked a bit fairer than usual, but my skin was _glowing_. The blue color was perfection with my skin tone. And the neckline made my bust look right, and made my torso look delicate, fragile.

I smiled. This night would be perfect. I would promise myself it would be.

But then Aphrodite told me. She threw it at me, like an extra accessory.

Percy was walking with _her_. Percy was _her_ escort.

I, suddenly, didn't feel so happy.

Percy's POV:

I had finished putting on the damn monkey suit that had been prepared for me. One of the hand maidens had fixed up my hair, so that it was gelled back and neat. I looked okay.

The suit was all black and no tie since I would probably strangle myself trying to put it on. I had left the top button free, and I guessed I, generally, looked good.

As I walked past the studio where all the beautifying had been done, I chuckled a bit. Just before I had changed one of the maidens had tried to put make up on me. _Everyone does it_, she'd said.

What had I said?

Hell freaking no.

I walked out of the door, finally, and walked back down the hall, alone. I was wallowing in the emptiness, the…_boringness_ of being without Annabeth. I wished I could see her. It felt like years.

When I reached the end of the hall, I saw a spiraling staircase. When I saw what lay below I was shocked.

Olympus had become…beautiful. There were decorations of mostly black and white. There was an expensive looking silver dance floor. Little tables were scattered. There were huge drapes, slung from wall to wall, in all colors of the rainbows. It was beautiful.

Little things here and there had color. A purple fabric weaving the railing. A different color bunch of flowers on each table, only none yellow, because the dinning sets were all that color.

Overall, I had to say, it was very…modern. And yet pretty.

I heard a voice from the hallways to my left, "Percy Jackson."

The Goddess of Love was walking my way. I was suddenly feeling really, very honored that _I_ would be walking her down. But that didn't mean I liked that fact that I wasn't with Annabeth.

She chuckled at my thoughts. I looked her up and down. She was wearing a dress that was strapled, hugging her waist in a simple broad line before falling into ruffles toward her feet. It was baby blue and made her already flawless skin look creamy. **(Picture on Profile) **Her hair which was really all colors, yet no colors, was back into a chignon. She looked gorgeous.

She giggled when she saw my slightly awe-struck expression. "Enough, enough," she said shooing away my gawking. "You're to walk me down soon."

I nodded, gulping. I hated walking down stairs while being stared at. I'd probably trip.

Aphrodite sensed my thoughts again. "You _will not_ trip, Percy Jackson. This party is annual and for _me_. I will not look like a fool."

I had to grin a bit. She tried not to smile back, but the Goddess of Love wasn't very good at that.

After a tortuous wait of 94 minutes on the top step of those stairs, we set ourselves up to go down. Everyone was downstairs, everyone but Annabeth. I knew this because of Aphrodite. _I _hadn't seen Annabeth. In my head, ugly, _UGLY_, mental pictures of her kissing Ares popped into my head. I wished I could go die somewhere when the jealousy, the _sad_ type of jealousy, toke me in again.

Anyway, I knew Annabeth was supposedly coming down the stairs last, after, even, Aphrodite. This was because Aphrodite claimed that love was more important. She said she'd put extra time into Annabeth and wanted to show her off to everyone. I smiled slyly, only a tiny bit, at that.

Annabeth will_ hate _that.

I took a deep breath and the goddess of love slipped her arm into mine. I breathed in. I was so damn nervous suddenly. What if Annabeth doesn't like the way I look? What if I just look…like a kid in a tux?

My head was frantic and Aphrodite noticed. She silenced me with one comforting sentence. "_I_ think you look good."

So, I shut up. I wasn't _utterly_ stupid. I knew that getting a compliment from the Goddess of Love and Beauty wasn't nothing. It was a helluva a lot, actually.

So, we started going down. People gawked at Aphrodite's beauty, stunned. Clapping broke out and a beautific smile broke across Aphrodite's face.

She had a good heart. I could tell that much from here.

She turned me. Damn it. She'd heard my thoughts. Her eyes were filled with tears and once we reached the bottom of the stairway, she hugged me softly. I wrapped my arms around only squeezing her lightly and then she turned and left.

I walked, gloomy still, to a table by the stairway. I threw myself at a chair and my legs spread out. I gazed at the stairway, waiting.

That was until my goat-boy best friend jumped into view.

"Percy!" He said, pulling me into a manly hug. "Where've you been?"

"No where," I said, smiling. "Just on a road trip. How are you, man?"

"I'm great," he said smiling as Juniper came into view. She looked pretty in a fluffy little silver gown. "Everything's great. How about you?"

I opened my mouth to reply but nothing came out.

I saw Annabeth on the stairway, standing at the top step.

I stopped breathing.

**Ahahhahahahh! Cliffy! **

**Go on! Tell me how much you love/hate me! You know you want to. **

**And, hey, you guys asked why this is rated M. LOL.**

**Don't worry, loves. A lot is going to unfold in these next few chapters. Well. Maybe not THAT soon, but hey. I've got loads of surprises for ya!**

**I love you all! Forever. ;-)**

**- S.**

**** END NOTE: I just checkout my profile...the thing might not show up (links for the dress). If that is the case with you please go here: **

**http://www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/~skylarcraze  
**


	19. Chapter Nineteen: I'd Do Anything

**Hi again! I know! Quick update. I felt bad for leaving you on SUCH a cliffy. **** I bet you wanna know how he felt…**

**Well! Read on and find out!**

**Meet you at the bottom. ;-)**

Percy's POV:

She was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen.

Her hair was a blonde, shimmering, curly, _gorgeous_ mess; cascading down her back in a loose braid of voluminous curls; a few strands left free, framing her face.

Her skin _glowed_. I mean, literally _glowed_. She looked like she had this fire burning deep, deep inside of her, lighting her, burning most through those grey cat-like eyes.

And the dress…the dress was perfection. It hugged her curves, but left some places loose, falling down her body like some sort of fabric-y waterfall. And her cleavage was…her cleavage made me feel like someone had just punched me in the gut. It _turned me on_. But, more importantly, it filled me with this…_feeling_. A…_devotion_. I was, at this moment, to fall to my knees and worship her. To take her, right there on the stairway, in a way so made for her, it would make her scream with pleasure. I felt weak in the knees.

I felt like I was going ooze love; out of my eyes, my ears. My body might just go up in flames. It might have already. What did I know? I was too busy staring at Annabeth.

And as I stared at the beautiful, sexy, gorgeous vision of the girl I was in love with, I thought: what would it take for her to love me back?

Because, at that second, I would've done anything. _Anything _for her to kiss me. _Anything_ for her to touch me_. Anything_ for her to hold me_._

_Anything _for her to love me.

Annabeth's POV:

I was walking down the hall. Alone this time, Percy being off with the stunning, beautiful, lovely Aphrodite. I was just walking here. Towards the damn ball where I'd have to watch the idiot I was in love with dance with the most stunning woman in the entire galaxy.

How was I supposed to compete with this?

I tried to breathe. But my body was clenched. I would "unclench" only when I would let go of all the tears inside, but I couldn't. It would ruin my makeup. And then the Goddess of Love would kill me.

So, instead, I walked, trying to breath in and out. In and out. In and o-

"Annie, annie, annie."

The voice, a man's voice, came from behind me. I could almost immediately tell who it was.

I turned to see the God of War checking me out. My face was to mold into a sneer. But I didn't let it. I just held the poker face.

"Ares," I said, giving him a small smile.

He walked up to me slowly, and once he reached me, fingered the part of my dress very, very, very close to my breast. I slapped his hand away, "Don't touch me."

"Ahh, but Annabeth, how can I _not_ touch you?" he chuckled, a cowardice, sick grin coming over his face. "You look like sex on a stick."

I clenched my jaw at the last phrase. I did know I looked nice, I was in the midnight blue dress made of satin and my hair was a curly braided mess. It fell down my back, some on my shoulder. Lastly, and worst of all, I had on a pair of death traps: round-toe black pumps. They matched the simple black two-string hair band in my hair. **(I don't know what they're called…so I put a picture of them on my profile, too, LOL. PS: Its the "easy" profile, the one whose link I gave you at the end of the last chappie...) **

"Stay quiet Ares," I growled at him, my eyes flashing now. "I don't_ want_ to be here."

"Oh, please," he said, smirking now. "What? You want to be with that hero, one that doesn't even love you?"

I felt my throat close, a lump forming. Tears starting welling. I shoved them away once, hard.

"Shut up," I said, turning away from him.

He didn't say anything after that. I could tell he was controlling his short temper. I didn't say anything, but continued walking forward.

Once we reached the top of the stairs, I waited for Ares, who moved forward. I looped my arm throw his (grudgingly) and took a deep breath. I looked up.

I saw the foyer decorated in blacks and white. It was accented with bright, some even neon, colors. The drapes of rainbow colors were a big affect, comparing the neutral base color.

I smiled a bit. The room _was_ quite beautiful.

So, I stepped forward, slowly, exaggerating my steps, just like Aphrodite said. I scanned the crowd looking for Percy. I couldn't see him. There was too much black, too many pale people. He blended.

Therefore, I took a deep breath and began my descent down these Stairs of Doom, concentrating on not falling in these ridiculous heels.

As I walked down, the entire hall fell silent. I could _feel_ billion eyes on me, crawling all over my skin, _raking_ me. I couldn't tell if they were good, or if they were bad, so I just stared at the steps in front of me.

A blush had already taken over my cheeks. I felt like they were burning of my overly made up face. I prayed it looked good.

Once I was on the bottom step, I looked up, my head held high. I tried to _look_ confident. And ironically, when I looked up I felt a lot better.

People were staring at me, looks of awe, shock and more on their faces. Some boys' mouths were ajar, others had drool on their face. It was stupid and selfish, but it made a small smirk, a tiny smile, peek out.

But that smirk was wiped off my face when a single boy pushed past everyone, occasionally getting cursed at to do so, stood in front of me.

Percy.

His eyes were different. His gaze was different.

Percy was staring at me with such _incredible_ intensity it was mind-blowing. More heat seeped into me, making me want to drool at the sight of _him._ He was gorgeous, standing there in an all black outfit, his hair slicked back a bit, a single bit escaping to touch his forehead. His skin was clear and white, clashing with his jet black hair. His light,_ so _light, green eyes bored into mine with more of that intensity. He looked like a fucking _god_. Strong, sexy and, yet, graceful like a mountain lion. An Adonis in the flesh (no offense to the real one standing across the room with drool dribbling down his chin).

I had let go of Ares by now. I couldn't bother less about him. My eyes, my thoughts were locked on one person and one person only: Percy.

I stepped down the last few steps, forgetting that a hundred people were watching us. I walked own slowly and, without having _any_ idea what I was doing, brushed the single strand of hair away from his forehead, my hand lingering there just for a second.

I felt this _burn_ when I touched him, this jolt of something much more…tingly than lightning. It made goose bumps erupt all over my skin and, hell, it _turned me on_. I wanted to rip his clothes off. I wanted to fuck him, right there, not caring my _mom_ was there.

But instead, he took lead. Before I could understand what was happening I was feeling ten billion different things. Percy had taken my face gently in his big hands and barely brushed his lips over mine. After one teasing, tingling kiss, he let his forehead rest against mine. I felt my mouth open a bit, feeling his hot breath in my mouth. I felt like I was going to lift off the ground and fly, fly, fly…

But then he pulled away. I think we realized a hundred different people, and gods, had just seen us kiss. What else would explain the cute blush coloring his cheeks?

He settled for holding my hand and I held it back. His big hand was warm and reassuring against mine, making my heart flutter.

But, honestly, you want to know what I think happened?

I think I just died and went to heaven.

**How cute was that? Review and tell me. :-)**

**By the way, people, I have a lot in store for this ball…if I get a bunch of reviews I might update by…who knows, tomorrow? **

**- S.**


	20. Chapter Twenty: Speak of the Annabeth

**Hey! Quick updates are the new thing!**

**Here I am, just following in an orderly fashion. ;-)**

Percy's POV:

I don't know what made me do it.

I mean, one moment, I was standing there, not breathing, wishing so hard that I could just click the _pause_ button on time…and then, suddenly, I had this _urge_. An insanely powerful _craving_.

I pushed past some (other) horny men who were gawking at _my_ Annabeth, and stopped once I was front and center, in front of her. She stopped for a split second, her eyes raving me. I felt myself break out into intense waves of...god knows what.

But _I_ know this much: it made me do what happened next. It just turned me on that much.

So, couldn't control what happened next.

She just came down, stopped in front of me and I kissed her.

And, _fuck_, it was the most…_beautiful_ kiss I've ever felt, or seen, or…just, the most best thing that's ever happened to me.

My lips brushed her, molding to them for just a second. She kissed back, but barely. I think she was still a bit shocked I'd reached out to touch her, kiss her. I broke the fragile moment, by moving back so my forehead was leaning against hers and I was breathing a bit harder than usual. Though not from the lust…as much as it was from the intensity, the raging _electricity_ that jumped at me, that made me shiver and shake, from that kiss.

Still standing in the same position, I held her face for a few more moments, and finally looked into those gray eyes. She was smiling, just a little, but smiling all the same. I felt my breath hitch.

She was everything. Beautiful, fierce, sexy, soft, delicious…

It was weird. I felt like I was about to blow from the insane lust, the need to fuck her in a rough, sexy way; and, yet, at the same time, I could feel so full of love, sparkles and all things pink.

I finally, and grudgingly, broke the moment simply proceed to hold her hand as, now _I_, took her across the hall. Ares was just standing there on the stairway, staring at us with a hard on, one visible even through his pants.

Sick pig. He was taking pleasure by watching _our_ moment.

As I lead Annabeth through the crowd that was now making a long, wide runaway for us to walk through, I couldn't help but smile. We walked straight past everyone and they clapped. We walked to a table far, far away from everyone else and sat down.

I sighed when she sat. She looked so fragile, so beautiful, yet so strong. It was confusing as hell, but worth it. She was the best thing I'd ever seen. Or talked to. Or fell in love with.

Her hair had fallen into halves, one half still cascading down her lightly, oh _so_ cruelly lightly, tan back. The other half was hanging by her face, giving her eyes a darker, more seductive look.

I gulped, trying to muster up any courage in my lusty state. I was pink in the face right now, for the gods' sake. "Are we going to talk about this, Annabeth?"

She gave me that little, sexy smirk I loved. "Now? No. Ever? Sure."

I smiled at that. Then I laugh at it. Hell, _who cared_? This trip we were on wasn't about _caring_. It was about having _fun_. And that kiss? That was fun. Look at what was going on inside my pants, and more so, my _head_, and you have proof.

She almost immediately jumped into a conversation about the decorations and how they accent the architecture or whatever; but honestly? I wasn't really listening to what she was saying. Instead, I listened to the way her voice got shaky when I stared at her too long, or the way when my knee brushed hers she'd stutter. I just watched her speak, her grey eyes lighting up, her carved face expressing expression. I wanted to lean over, to shut her up by kissing her plush, red hot lips. I wanted to touch her cheeks with my thumbs.

But, let's try and preserve my manliness here; I _did_ want to do her. I wanted to see her crawl on top of me and ride me. I wanted to see her under me, to make her scream. I wanted to do such _ungodly_ things to her, it was no wonder just about every god came our way.

Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Aphrodite, Hera, Apollo and Athena stood in front of me. Some of them gave me death glare (*cough*Athena*cough*), whilst other winked at me. Zeus spoke up first.

"That was very inappropriate."

The thoughts or the kiss?

He shot me a glance that would probably kill me if I wasn't invulnerable. "Both."

I looked at the floor, guilt and some embarrassment filling me. This was Aphrodite event. I had hogged most of her spotlight when I'd jumped on Annabeth like that.

Athena growled, sensing my thoughts probably. What with these gods anyway? _KEEP OUT OF MY HEAD_, I yelled at them through my head. They all cringed a bit, but ignored me studiously.

After a few moments of guilt-filled, awkward silence. I looked up. I was standing now, staring Aphrodite full on; "I'm sorry," I said sincerely.

She smiled a bit, arching an eyebrow a bit. "Just don't do it again."

I smiled a bit, and the turned to the rest of the gods. I felt so sick with myself. I hadn't have done that…it was wrong. This event was even for us. It was for the gods.

"I'm sorry I did that. Seriously, I am. I'll probably leave now…," I glanced at Annabeth, who was staring at me. I couldn't help but shiver at her gaze. Athena growled.

Annabeth moved her gaze from me to her mother, and it turned hard as stone, cold as New York's wind in November. She turned to me after a few seconds, she raised a single eyebrow as she did when she was being arrogant; and said; "I'll be waiting at the front."

I wanted to kiss her again.

But instead, I nodded at my father, uncles, etc. and then went off in the other direction going to get the few bits of stuff, like my cell phone and car keys, from the dressing room.

Once I'd collected my clothes, keys, and other things, I turned to the doorway where I saw Aphrodite staring at me. She smiled a bit, a (supposedly) stunning grin. I smiled back a bit, my eyebrows coming together like they always did when I was confused. "Hi?" I said, waving a bit.

She laugh a high, tinkling sound. I noticed she was batting her eyelashes at me. I gulped.

_Weird,_ I thought. I started walking forward, and she moved out of my way. As I walked, she walked beside me, saying nothing. Until she said this; "You're a good guy, Perseus."

"Percy," I automatically corrected her. She let out another laugh.

"Cute, too," she winked. I pulled at the corners of my mouth, but I was still confused.

"Is there, um, something you need to say?" I asked, raising my eyes and burrowing them at the same time.

She smiled. And nodded. She started to lean forward when the gears in my head clicked.

The eyelashes. The laugh. The leaning.

I jumped back, hitting the wall. My eyes were wild, wide. "Aph-phrodite," I gulped, squeezing my eyes shut. I opened them and saw her staring at me, shocked.

"Did you just _reject_ me?"

I shook my head. "Think of it as…backing off? I'm sorry. But I love Annabeth."

Ever hear of speak of the devil and the devil shall appear?

Apply that here please.

**AHAHAH! **

**I wonder…how many cliffhangers is that? LOL. You guys probably haaate me for what I do to your poor souls. Anyway…I'm noticing this fanfic is stretching out waaay too much. I'm think no more than 8 more chapters. But, hey! All you need to worry about is what Annabeth is going to say to him!**

**PS: I was wondering…do I seem flat in this chappie? Because I feel…flat. Ugh. I don't know. I think the writer's block is coming back. *gasp with horror***

**NOW GO! REVIEW! The next chapter will be SO worth it...trust me. ;-)**


	21. Chapter Twenty One: Trash The TV

**Hey, there! So…I left you with a cliffhanger. That was pretty evil. **

**I guess this is me…**

…**being evil some more.**

Percy's POV:

She walked in.

Right at that moment, Annabeth Chase decided it'd be a nice time to walk through that damn left door **(Reminder: Annabeth walked through the RIGHT door in Ch. 17; Percy walked through the LEFT)**.

I wondered why I was so unlucky. I wondered if this had been planned.

She walked in and stared at us. It was probably a weird sight; me scrunched against the wall, Aphrodite looming over me like an angry pigeon. And plus, my slicked back hair was back to it mess-of-curls state.

She stared at me, and weirdly _my hair_, for a few moments, then stared at Aphrodite. Something about the way she was watching us, I felt like she hadn't heard me. The sweat that had broken out when I thought she _had_ slowed. I breathed before stepping away from the Goddess of Love.

I ran a hand through my hair nervously, saying, "Um, I'll see you around, okay, Aphrodite?"

She stared at me, _gaped_ at me, for a few moment. Her eyes were clouding over with something…something that looked _way_ too much like pure, straight out, I'm-gonna-kill-you-with-a-toothbrush anger.

I gulped.

"_See me?_" she yelled, finally recovering. Her hair was billowing and her eyes were torches. She looked strangely a lot like Medusa.

Oh, _shit_. I can see in her eyes that she heard that.

I ran then. I ran like there was no tomorrow. I jumped over the couch, grabbing the keys and stuff off the coffee table and ran. I grabbed Annabeth's hand and pulled her along with me.

While I was running, I heard Aphrodite's strangled screech. But that only made me run faster. She was going to kill me.

She was going to _KILL_ me.

I ran down those stairs, probably creating a scene. Aphrodite. When I reached the bottom of the stairs, saw that the room had fallen silent, I turned and looked to the top of the staircase. I knew what I was going to see.

Aphrodite stood there, tall and scary as _hell_. Her eyes were burning harder, _brighter_, with that fire. She looked like she was going to rip me limb from limb and then _eat_ every piece.

The sight made my knees shake with fear.

She then let out a ragged, wild, inhumane scream as she ran down the stairs after me.

I cursed and grabbed a very pissed, very hot Annabeth's hand and ran again. We pushed past some of the idiots who were still dancing. Most of the hall was focused on the sight of the Love Goddess playing kill-the-Percy.

I let out a frustrated growl when we became stuck on the dance floor. I decided some serious action needed to be taken. Aphrodite was going to _fry _me for;

a) Rejecting her.

b) Making it sound like _I_ was dumping _her_.

c) Ditching her.

And, now, d) Officially ruining her party.

I was so screwed.

Annabeth's POV:

I had no fucking _clue_ what was going on.

I had just walked through the left door, where Percy was supposed to be, to tell him to hurry the hell up, when I see him pressed up against a wall by a very pissed, very confused looking Aphrodite. I had heard him say "Annabeth" and, so, I was pretty confused.

Soon enough though, it turned out that the only thing that mattered was the Aphrodite was just angry.

Percy had said some blubbering, cute thing and ran out, like literally _ran_ out. He must have some something _seriously_ bad, since the Goddess was hot on our trail. She chased us down the staircase. She had let out this shrill, Siren-like scream that was the most chilling thing I had ever heard.

I was now on the dance floor, standing next to a very frustrating, very sexy Percy. His hair wasn't slicked anymore, but I had stared at it before and found I liked it better as a messy bunch of curls. He growled a growl that made my panties a bit wet and breathed deeply. His light, pale green eyes flashed with something that _looked_ like anger (and, really, despite the situation, _turned me on_), as he searched around. He spotted something far away and muttered, "_Yes_."

Before I could even get angrier, he squeezed his eyes shut and concentrated. His mouth was in a slight smirk. Before what happened, happened, I kind of knew that it would happen. Percy only had _that_ smirk on at one time; when he was going piss someone off.

And then it happened.

Water _exploded_ from behind me, but I was dry because of Percy, and we stood in our own personal hurricane. And Percy; apparently satisfied that he'd creating this…_thing_, that had knocked out half the people on the dance floor and _destroyed_ the buffet table; starting running again.

And I could do nothing but follow.

This boy was going to get his ass kicked by me later.

But I couldn't do anything but be pulled by him. He had my hand in a firm grasp.

We spent minutes running down the _huge_ hall. We passed an open-mouthed Grover, a very angry Zeus, and an amused Poseidon. Percy's dad winked at him and pointed at a big red-wood door. I couldn't help but laugh at that. It was funny; one god was hunting us down like prey, while the other was helping us out.

Percy glanced back with an "are-you-out-of-your-mind?" look on his face. When my eyes gleamed with humor, he laughed a bit back.

Soon enough, we were a giggling and laughing our way out, that, too, so hard, it made my stomach hurt. I let out more laughter, stumbling as Percy and I pulled us along.

It was just the fact that this whole situation was _so_ ridiculous. But, heck, it was fun!

Once we'd finally gotten past the doors, I looked around the new room we were in.

It was the gods' lounge. It was huge and airy, with a few thrones, a few couches (of all kinds, leather, velvet, suede, etc) and a huge TV in the center.

Almost immediately, it hit me.

_Note to self: go to Olympus and trash the stalking-the-kids TV._

"THE STALKING-THE-KIDS TV!" I gasped, pointing a finger dramatically at the four-sided plasma(s) in the middle of the room. Basically, it was a box that had four, extra thin plasma TV screen on each of the four sides.

Percy's eyes brows flew up as he gave me the "what-the-fuck?" look. I just widened my eyes and pointed.

But, as soon as I recovered from my little shock, I jumped into action.

It was time to destroy this life-ruining piece of crap.

Percy's POV:

She was going insane.

I knew it! I knew the moment I'd overreact; it'd trigger something in her overly-used, too-smart brain and make her going crazy.

We were standing in the middle of what looked like the gods' lounge, and I was moving towards the elevator on the other side of the room, but she held me back. She had on her sexy, let-get-violent smirk.

That smirk was one that turned me on _and_ scared to death. Reason? It usually meant Annabeth was going to do something not so nice.

And I was right. After gasping, "THE STALKING-THE-KIDS TV!" and pointing at the box made of televisions she proceed to touch it.

Guess what she did next?

She punched it.

Annabeth's knuckles broke through the glass easily, creating a loud _pop, crack, shatter_. I yelped and to her.

"Annabeth!" I gasped, "Fuck! Annabeth! What are you _doing_? Don't the gods have reason enough to kill us?"

But she didn't listen, Annabeth just moved forward, or tried to anyway. She tripped on the train of her gorgeous blue dress. So, she ripped it.

Yes, she ripped the thing that made her look like an angel. Just proves how _un_-materialistic she is.

Once she'd ripped the bottom off, freeing her bare, tan legs (giving me some serious wood), she proceed forward, grabbing one of the ornaments off a coffee table nearby; smashing each TV, one by one. Once she finished, she put the ornament back and turned to a slack-jawed me.

I stared at her. When she just arched an eyebrow at me, I _knew_ I'd never seen anyone so hot. I gulped, trying not to show just _how_ much she affected me. Especially in my pants.

So, instead I said, "We _have _to go."

She smiled back, grabbed _my_ hand and raced toward the elevator. I was being pulled by her, realizing karma was a bitch. I was half stunned by the gorgeous girl in front of me, the one tapping her foot impatiently, accenting her _sexy_ legs even more.

What could I do but steal _another_ quick kiss?

I just grabbed her, rougher this time, and pressed my lips to hers, hard, and licked her bottom lip a bit.

This fazed her. She gasped/moaned, and I took lead. I pulled her into the elevator the same moment Aphrodite burst through the red-wood doors.

I pressed the last button frantically and pressed the shut door button. Aphrodite was stuck in her spot for just enough time to give us a head start. She then wasted more time by let out a yell.

"YOU MORONIC DEMIGODS! YOU DESTROYED OUR TELEVISION! I'M GOING TO _KILL_ YOU BOTH!"

And by the time she said "both", the elevator doors had already been shut.

**DUM, DUM, DAAAH!**

**So, what did you think? Give me your opinions? I kind of swear a lot more than I expected in this chapter. I didn't mean to but I thought that was what I would do if I were them. LOL.**

**Anywho…give me feedback! Please? I'll update faster! And, plus, I make good on promises. I TOLD you Annabeth was kickass. **

**Anyway, I've always **_**wanted**_** to trash that damn TV ever since I heard it existed. Now I did.**

***grin***

**- S.**

**PS: I was saying I was being evil because Annabeth didn't heard Percy say he loved him. But worry not! I've saved an extra special moment for that. I'd been inspired by a song and all. **

**PPS: The reason Aphrodite fell for Percy is nothing more than the fact that she **_**is**_** childish. She just got distracted, liked him and then got hurt by him. Hence the insanely normal girl-like anger she showed.**


	22. Chapter Twenty Two: Dream Of Me?

**Hey! Long time, no see.**

**Fun fact: I'm totally obsessed with Greyson Chance, the new "viral" kid. LOL! HE IS SO AWESOME. You NEED to go watch him.**

**Anyway. Here's the new chapter. Enjoy. **

:-)

Annabeth's POV:

We raced out the elevator as soon as it opened, trying to hide our grins. But when we ran out the elevator, I couldn't hold it in any longer. I laughed and giggled and Percy was pulling me along with him, as I was I to him.

Once we reached the parking lot, I realized: we'd traveled here through Aphrodite. Damn it.

But as we looked around the underground parking lot, I saw a glint of black. When we finally rounded a corner, I saw that the gods had brought Percy's car!

Thank those gods.

I let out a long sigh and ran toward it, towing Percy along with me. Once we reached the car, he went to the driving side, and I went to the passenger seat. We jumped in and he started the car and stepped on it.

We zipped out of the underground parking lot; me shocked, Percy grinning. Once we were _finally_ on the main road and stuck in more traffic, I _really _looked at him. His hair was wind-swept and his eyes were sparkling with excitement. His shirt's first few buttons were undone, his blazer's sleeves rolled up to his elbows. I watched him with half-lidded eyes, lust clouding my vision. I licked my suddenly chapped lips.

I would do it tonight. Tonight, I would confess to him. I would tell him how I feel and get him to tell me what he felt.

And I'd face what would come. As well as hope it to be good.

Percy's POV:

It had been 3 hours and 44 minutes since we'd left Olympus. Still no message or death sentence(s) from the gods. Yet.

It had been a long, exhilarating night. And, seriously, I was tired. We couldn't find a hotel, so I suggested that we just sleep in the car. We would go somewhere else tomorrow. Annabeth smiled and me and nodded, her eyes sparkling with that _look_. The look she gets when she thinks I'm cute or whatever.

Right now, we were in the middle of a wide abandoned ally in New York City. Things really couldn't get much worse. We had;

a) Gods chasing after us.

b) No place to sleep.

c) Were in an ally for the homeless.

Honestly, I just wished I could go home and to bed there. I yawned and wanted to lay my head down so badly, but couldn't. And I couldn't go home because I had no keys and I knew my mom wouldn't be very happy to see me right now.

I sighed. Things really couldn't get any worse.

Wallowing in my sadness for a few moments, I heard a sigh behind me. I glanced back. Then I looked back. Annabeth was laying on her side, on the back seat her eyes on me. Her dress was torn up and part of the train was still on, part off. It was so that I could glimpse her legs only once in a while. A type of serious teasing. I wasn't sure if I liked it or not.

I smiled a small smile at her, and then turned forwards again. I turned on the music, softly. I wished something good would happen tonight. Something that would give me energy…

Almost as if on cue, rain started pouring down on the car. A blissful smile came over my face as I listened to the soft pitter-patter. I loved rain. It was my favorite type of weather.

"_Stars shining bright above you. Night breezes seem to whisper I love you."_

My smile got wider. I can't believe my luck was getting better. The soft, deep voice of the wheel-chair guy from Glee filled my car.

"_I'm longing to linger 'til dawn dear…just sayin' this."_

I looked back at Annabeth who's eyes were wide open. Then, I had a crazy idea. A cheesy way to tell Annabeth how I felt.

I jumped out of the car and opened the back door. Annabeth had bolted upright. "Percy, what in-"

I put a finger on her lips and I could swear kissed it, my finger, just for a second. That gave me all the courage I needed. I pulled her out of the car into the pouring rain, getting us both wet. I left her alone for a second, to put the song on again. It was beautiful.

I grabbed Annabeth and pulled her into the middle of the abandoned ally. Raining was soaking both of us but it felt so good, so cold against the heat pouring out of me for the girl in front of me.

I started singing, "_Stars shining bright above you. Night breezes seem to whisper I love you. Birds singin' in the sycamore tree. Dream a little…dream of me?"_

She raised her eyebrows at me and laughed, trying to run back to the car. I didn't let her. I was _actually_ trying to say something. I think she realized that only when I pulled her into my arms and danced with her a bit.

Annabeth loosened up then. We started full dancing. She leaned her head on my shoulder and let her arms snake themselves around my neck. She smiled at me and murmured, "You know, on a craziness scale of one to ten, Percy, you are probably 1000."

I laughed as I started singing again, totally off-pitch as usual. "_Stars fading but I linger on dear…still craving your kiss! I'm longing to linger dawn dear…just sayin' this!_"

I spun her around and watched her twirl gracefully. She finally started singing with me,_ "__Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you. __Sweet dreams that leave all worries far behind you__; __but in your dreams whatever they be__ d__ream a little dream of me…"_

I laughed as she sang, singing along sometimes. But I stopped laughing when I realized she meant what she was saying, too. I stopped laughing because, hell, in the middle of the night, in New York City, under a billion stars, and in an ally with Annabeth staring at me with sleepy, yet blissful eyes and her midnight blue dress torn and swaying with her as we danced, I realized: she loved me, too.

I think I just died from bliss-overload.

Annabeth's POV:

We didn't say much, didn't question much, as we danced to the Glee version of "_Dream a Little Dream of Me._" The whole thing was so perfect, so random, and so lovely; it would've been too mean to have questioned it.

So, I just went with it, smiling and spinning with Percy. He was a pretty good dancer. I found it funny that we were out here, dancing slowly in the rain…Percy murmuring the lyrics in my ear, sometimes yelling them for the world to hear...all in the cool of midnight…in an ally…all alone…under millions of sparkling stars…

Oh, fuck. Who was I kidding? This wasn't _funny_.

It was fucking _fantastic_.

It was the most romantic thing I had ever seen, heard of, imagined. I loved every second of it. I _cherished_ every second of it. I _drank_ every second to its full extent.

But when the song ended the car shut off, leaving Percy and I in the shadows of the ally, bathed in nothing but that pale moonlight, I couldn't help but see how beautiful he was. His dark hair shined, his light green eyes glimmered. And his face was so chiseled, so angular. He was beautiful. More beautiful than _anyone_ I had ever seen.

I really wished he'd kiss me again. But he didn't. He did something better.

He whispered; his voice barely louder than the soft rustle of the wind that swirling around us, playing with rain:

"I think I'm in love with you."

I felt my heart lurch. I pressed my lips together and soaked the feeling. It was like a small fire was burning inside of me, full of love…love that was spreading all over my body…into my toes, my knees. Speaking of my knees, the suddenly felt weak. And I think my heart just swelled to a size so large, its bout to explode out of my chest.

I shut my eyes as I leaned forward, breathing into his ear, "I know I'm in love with you."

And after that, it was perfection. It was like, inside of me, fireworks had been set off. I had exploded, chills, tingles, fire running all over my skin. I was exploding with a billion different things. But mostly I was so…_happy_. I wanted to kiss Percy's perfect lips; but I was worried it would be ruined. All of this perfection; from the tattered yet beautiful outfits we wore, to the perfect, mellow song, to the fun dancing, to the romantic rain…What if he just gets bored? What if there is nothing after this confession?

What I was thinking was probably written all over my face, in big block print, most likely, or Percy could read mind, since he then said, his warm breath on my lips, "You're wrong."

And then his kissed me.

And, so far, it was the best kiss yet.

**YAY! THEY FINALLY TOLD EACH OTHER! THEY FINALLY TOLD EACH OTHER! THEY **_**FINALLY**_** TOLD EACH OTHER!**

**Tell me what you think of the basic idea. You know, the rain, the music, etc. I have the link for the song on my profile, so go check that out. **

**REVIEW! And then you will get more. **

**PS: the ending is soon. I am sorry. But all things must come to an end…and I feel like I'm losing the story more and more as the days pass by.**

**Anyway. REVIEW! There are still important things to be written…and they will only be written if I have reviews. **

**Plus, I'll love you forever and ever for it. Isn't that enough? ;-)**

**- S.**


	23. Chapter Twenty Three: Just Another Guy

**Ah. It has been too long, my loves. Well, I've been reading a lot, you know. But here I am, ready to deliver. Plus…I've been feeling kind of down about my writing. A friend, or better put is **_**snarky ex-friend**_**, said she thinks my writing is boring.**

**:'(**

**Anywho. I tried to deliver as best as I could in this chappie.**

**Enjoy!**

Annabeth's POV:

We didn't say much afterwards. Just lay in the back seat together; I curled against one wall, him against the other. We weren't even touching, actually. We just stared at each other. For a long time, too.

This night was probably something that I won't be able to get out of my head for a long time. And leaning the side of my head against the chilled glass of the window, warmth _still_ bubbled through me.

"So," said Percy, cocking his head slightly, his eyes becoming sleepy.

"So yourself," I said, yawning. I moved a bit, trying to get comfortable. These seats weren't very comfortable. "I'm going to sleep."

He said nothing. After about a minute, Percy went, "I can't sleep."

I glared at him. I really _was_ sleepy. "Maybe it's because you're talking."

He chuckled and shifted so he was facing away from me. Suddenly, my heart panged with a sense of loneliness. And, almost at the exact same time, part of my brain remembered lying in Percy warm, strong arms as I went to sleep one night. It was the best sleep I'd ever gotten.

I wondered if he'd hold me as I slept tonight. So, smiling at the fact that I _ask_, I said, "Percy?"

He turned his head towards me a bit and grunted. I smiled a bit more, scotching closer. "Sleep with me?" I asked, realizing how bad that sound only afterwards. I groaned out loud at his response.

He turned fully towards me now, the back of his head, grinning. "Seriously?"

I half-punched him. I was too sleepy to do a full punch, and I honestly knew that without Perce sleep would not come. "You know what I meant."

His grinned toned down and he gave me a smile that managed to melt my heart and get my lower regions a bit wet at the same time. But I ignored that, my focus totally on his answer.

My thoughts went like this (total) mess: _What if he says no? What if he's the slow moving kind of guy? What if HE didn't like sleeping with me? WHAT IF I SNORE?_

I waited, my breath getting short and my heart beating hard, but not in a good way. In a I-think-I'm-going-to-die-if-he-says-no way.

Finally, _finally_, he opened his arms wide. For just a second I let an exhilarated smile cross my face. But then I went back to being sleepy and crawled into my Percy's arms.

He was staring at me in that unnerving way. My cheeks flushed red and I slowly lay down, my body facing his, my forehead resting on his chest. I could feel his every breath, his every heart beat. For some reason, his breathing was odd and his heart was beating almost as hard and fast as mine.

Copying my slowness, Percy slowly slid his hand under me and curled it around me, resting it on my hip. I shivered a bit and Percy twitched. I could almost hear the "I'm sorry" in his head, so I comforted him by pressing myself closer, curling up against him like a cat. He just felt _so_ unbelievably _good_.

After awhile, I felt so sleepy my erraticness stopped and I loosened myself. I felt the back of the front seat against my back and, like a fly to honey; my face buried itself in Percy's weirdly hot neck. I rubbed my cheek against the side and almost purred. I felt the rumble of Percy's voice as he mumbled into my hair (in a very un-Percy-like way), "'Night, 'beth."

"Goodnight." I wish this night could last forever.

But it probably wouldn't. But that was fine. I didn't need it to last forever…the only thing I _really _needed was Percy. And tomorrow, I would still have him.

And that was enough for me. **(I was gonna end it here…but I didn't want to be mean. You guys are lucky ducks. -_-)**

Percy's POV:

She was the best thing ever.

She was beautiful, smart, sexy, clever, kickass and…everything. And she was _my_ everything.

I just wished this night wouldn't end. As sappy and un-guy-like it is…I never wanted this moment to end. I was lying in the backseat of my car, a sleepy Annabeth burrowed in my arms. Her damp dress was in bits and pieces. I chuckled a bit and I would bet she would feel, since she'd buried her face against my neck. I felt my body spin on the inside from the happiness, the _bliss_.

I faded to sleep though, soon enough. How we slept was uncomfortable, but about halfway through the night, I shift a sleeping Annie-bell so that her back was against my front and my arms were around her.

I had almost laughed while I moved her. It just the way she looked. Her eyebrows had come together a bit, her mouth slipping into a pout. I couldn't really help myself. I kissed her bottom lips gently, once. She sighed and, once I'd put us right, she moved herself in my arms so that her face was now buried in my upper arm.

I fell asleep, counting everyone one of her breaths. It was the sweetest sleep I'd ever gotten.

Right now, I was driving again. We were looking for somewhere to eat and change. I talked as I drove, telling Annabeth about my dream last night. It was about a hippo, a doctor and a military sergeant. You really don't want to know the details. Annabeth had tears running down her cheeks from laughing so hard (at me. Nice, right?).

We arrived at a small bed and breakfast that was near buffalo. It was weird how fast time travelled with Annabeth. "So," I said, smiling at her. We weren't very couple-y but, heck. We were _us_.

We jumped out of the car, me carrying the clothes we were going to change into and Annabeth trying to make sure her dress didn't just fall apart.

As we crossed the street, disgusting drunks sauntered up to Annabeth. "Hey, baby," one slurred, his mop of hair in his eyes. "Wanna join me for some morning sex?"

My jaw clenched. I spun around, to the idiot behind us. Annabeth looked like she was going to kill him. I wasn't going to protect her. She'd probably hit me.

"Walk away, dude," I said, smiling already. This looked like the type of guy Annabeth would whoop soon enough.

He ignored me. "Baaaay-bay," he said, laughing. "Come oooon. I'll show ya how the _real_ stuff is done." He shoot a meaningful glance my way.

I raised my eyebrows. Annabeth didn't say anything. She just stepped forward. A smile broke across the guy's face. My jaw clenched harder. I wanted to rip him to shreds now. He was a _sick_ pig.

But, instead, I just waited. When the guy stepped forward, Annabeth brought back her fist and punched him hard. She was faster than a freaking falcon about it, too.

Feeling un-manly about doing nothing, I weaved my fingers through hers and pulled her away before she actually injured the guy.

_Just another guy, punched and gone_. I chuckled at my thoughts.

Annabeth threw me a dark look, angry still, and yanked her hand out of mine before marching into "Cleo's B&B". I pressed my lips together, hard, to keep from laughing.

And then I ran after her.

What else is new?

**Ugh. I feel like I AM losing my pazaz. I dunno why but Percabeth is just fading away from me. **

**I think this story will come to an end soon, my loves. The lemon scene may or may not happen.**

**But, still. I love you and thank you for ALL your reviews. They make my day(s).**

**Now review, review, review or no more chappies that come fast. :P**

**- S.**


	24. Chapter TwentyFour: Kiss Starved Savages

**Hey! **

**I was inspired! I was inspired! Ke$ha proves herself worthy. ;-) **

"**Your Love Is My Drug," totally has this…TONE behind it at moments. I used that.**

**It's strange, the ways inspiration comes to us.**

**I hope you'll enjoy. Btw, it might all be in Annabeth's POV.**

Annabeth's POV:

Percy's an idiot. Ugh.

I didn't even want to think about anything anymore. Even though I'd gotten the best sleep ever, I was cranky as a banshee this morning.

And add a drunkard try to bed me and a trying-not-to-laugh Percy; hell, now you've got yourself one pissed-off Annabeth. Whoopie.

I stormed through the B&B in my tattered dress. Honestly, I just couldn't care less now. I just wanted a bath and a shower and a chance to stretch my thoughts, my body, etc. I just…needed some space.

God. I sound so cliché.

Anyway, once getting over my open-popping appearance, the receptionist let me get a room and I grabbed the key and went to the elevator. Percy was quiet, holding my hand a bit, just the fingertips, rolling them between his own fingers tenderly. I would swoon and be ridiculously girly if I wasn't in such a BAD mood.

Once we climbed into the empty elevator, we stood on opposite ends. Percy had tilted his head and was staring at me with that cute, questioning, bad-boy look. I shoot his a glance.

God. Does my heart have to beat so hard when I do that?

He gave me the smallest of grins and moved forward. He trapped me between his arms. I was trapped. Damn it.

"Percy," I said, my teeth gritted. "Back away. _Before_ I eat you."

He raised a single eyebrow. "Is that a bad thing?" he asked, then leaned forward to whisper in my ear. "Or something _super_ sexy?"

Cue wetness between legs. My breath automatically shortened. I shook myself, trying to see if this was really happening. When I looked again, Percy was still staring at me, his eyes so dark and _hot-_

He interrupted my thoughts. "I could fix your mood, you know," he said, his face dark, only his lips twitched into a _SEXY_ smile. I wanted to lean my head back and moan. I almost did.

But instead, I fisted the front of his messed up dress shirt and pulled his face to mine. I growled, "I know that, idiot."

And then I kissed him. Hard.

It was probably the sexiest thing ever. He returned my hard, raw passion. The gods only know why I wasn't fainting. I moved my hand (that was between us) and wrapped it around the back of his neck, trying to get dominance. But, weirdly, Percy wasn't co-operating. That only turned me on more.

I channeled all that anger, crankiness and hell into this kiss. After a few moments of close-lipped, pressing-against-each-other-hard stuff, Percy used his tongue to trace the line between my lips. I opened my mouth and _moaned_. I couldn't help it. He tasted so _good_.

Using my open-mouthedness as an excuse, Percy started getting rougher. He grabbed my hips and angled his head so that he could kiss me deeply. I fought with him, for dominance for a long time, but eventually gave in when he sucked my bottom lip.

I was moaning and groaning freely now. But, soon enough, I had to breathe. I pulled back and now, I realized just how oxygen deprived I was. But I couldn't care less. I just wanted to kiss Percy _all the time_.

Breathing heavily, I slid my hands up Percy's chest, making him shake. It was the best feeling in the world. I slow made my hands up to his hair and latched them there. I pulled his hair, hard, exposing his neck. I grinned a bit as I leaned forward and used my tongue to trace the curve of his slender, _beautiful_ neck. When he moaned out loud, and I mean _loud_, I felt like I was flying.

"Annabeth," he said into my hair as he lifted me to sit on one of those hand bar things. I spread my legs open, shaking a lot (but a good shaking) and pulled him between my legs. I just started kissing him again when the elevator ringed and the door opened.

I groaned. For a second, I just growled. Then I pushed Percy away, grabbed the keys we'd dropped. Then I grabbed Percy's hand and pulled him, almost running, out the elevator. We needed to get somewhere quiet where I could kiss Percy freely and hear his-

"Annabeth," Percy's voice said behind me as I fumbled to unlock to door.

I glanced at him. He looked disheveled. He looked swept. He looked _turned on_.

_Join the club, bud,_ I thought. Just as I thought that the door of our room (457) swung open and I went in, Percy coming in too slowly for my taste.

Once he was in I locked the door and leaned on the door, panting still. My heart was jumping around inside of me, _begging_ for more. I wondered how far I wanted to go with this. I realized I would go as far as Percy would. I trusted him. I trusted _us_.

But would I risk the gods watching us have _sex_? Hades, no, I would not.

I watched Percy now. He was staring at his shoes, looking ashamed. I spoke up. "What the matter?"

He shook his hand, running a hand through his black hair. "Nothing. I-I'm just sorry."

I burrowed my eyebrows. "About what, Seaweed Brain?"

He turned to me, his eyebrows raised. "You're not offended?"

"_About what?_" I asked, a bit of exasperation coloring my voice. If he kept asking these questions and didn't kiss me, the horny Annabeth, soon, I'd rip his clothes off before he could say "What the fuck?"

He looked confused, then not, and then my new favorite Percy-look came on. The dark, bad-boy -time one.

He moved forward fast, pinning me to the door. I grinned internally. On the outside, my poker face was on. Who said I wasn't going to make him work?

He did the unthinkable next. He leaned forward and in my ear, he panted, "Make love to me, Annabeth?"

I nearly collapsed.

"B-but," I started, but he put a finger on my lips.

"The gods will never know. Thalia gave me a little something before. I think she knew this might be up."

I stared at him open-mouthed. I mean, truly, I was scared. But on the outside, I just put the pieces of the poker face back together.

"If you're up to it." Cue Annabeth's attempt at questioning yet sexy look.

He stared at me. I think I wasn't the only one nervous. But he just nodded and moving forward. He was still pinning me to the door, so he used one hand to loosely trail his hand around the shape of my hips. The "irony" is that the same hip he was tracing had a huge slit that exposed my tan skin. I shivered under his touch.

He gazed at me for a long time, before moving forward. His kiss this time was gentle, but building. His fingers barely going into the slit a bit, making that part of me explode with heat, warm, _hot_ heat.

"Not yet," he said slowly, against my lip, kissing the area on and around my mouth. "I want to make it worth something."

I smiled, unexpected tears jumping into my tears.

I nodded. He smiled back. And then we went back to kissing like kiss-starved savages.

**Well, for now that is all. **** I will update soon with more. I JUST remembered a little stop I wanted to make before finishing off the book…its kind of important.**

**Plus, I gave all my perverts some erotica moments. ;-)**

**Now, go! Review if you want quickness. Plus, I got some messages and they made my DAYS. I love you guys. :-) Truly.**

**PS; don't you love how sexy and sly and yet gentle Percy is? I always imagined that's what my dream man would be like.**

***sigh***

**I must ready myself for disappointment. LOL.**

**Love; **

**- S.**


	25. Chapter Twenty Five: Nowhere Exactly

**Hey! Well…we near the end…but I've given you this…you know, just 'cause. **

**I found the most beautiful…strong…inspirational song. Being the sappy fool I am, it made me cry. *blush***

**Enjoy the chapter! It holds a lot of emotion.**

Annabeth's POV:

We drove for a long time.

Being OCD as I am, it bugged me at first; not knowing what I was doing, like I was walking blind-folded on an endless grassy plain. But now…I was just comforted. I wanted this trip to last forever.

But I wasn't stupid. We'd been gone for at least a month by now.

And it was the damn best month of my life.

Percy and I had whizzed through Texas, Florida, New Mexico…we were free. We were just…driving. On and on and on…

I sighed. Percy glanced at me. He was wearing those sexy Ray Bans again. His hair was wind-tousled and his jaw basically begged me to lean over and kiss it. But, being the good girl (not) that I am, I ignored my lady parts and just smiled brilliantly at Percy. He gave me his I-have-no-idea-how-to-respond-so-please-don't-kill-me-if-I-respond-wrong look. The ends of my lips twitched into a sly smile. He was just _so cute_.

I stuck my head out the window and looked, really looked, around. We were on an isolated road in a desert, in the middle of nowhere exactly. Every so often, a sign or an exit would pop up. I wasn't really sure where we were, actually. We could be in New Mexico…or Texas…

_God, Annabeth. You've SO changed._

I laughed inwardly. The voice was right. I was so chilled, so relaxed on this trip. I was just relaxing. I was avoiding all important and imposing thought. I was so…unannabeth-y.

"Percy," I said softly, not even looking at him, still surveying the vast plains of sand and cactus. You could only see this type of scenery in the middle of, you guessed it; no-freaking-where.

He slowed the car down, his move to tell me that he was listening. I smiled a bit at our new and weirdly intimate gestures. I knew was time to say what I needed to say; as sappy as that may sound. And, even if I wanted to weep helplessly for doing it, I got out, "We've got to get back."

Now it was Percy's turn to sigh. He pulled off his sunglasses and put them back, but his now dark eyes weren't latched to mine. It made me feel empty and unimportant.

But when Percy turned his gaze and I could stare at him and his too long, too curly hair and his sometimes-dark-sometimes-light green eyes…I couldn't help but feel like someone had just given me a shot. No, it was _better_ than a shot…it was like my heart was running, racing, my body flushing with an unbridled _love_. It was painful sometimes, how much I loved Percy. It made me want to cry, to know that I'd given so much of myself to a guy. That, too, at the tender age of (cue snort) almost-17. But it was so _right_, so _perfect_, it made my head spin.

Finally…even after our knowing exchange of a few breaths and eye contact, Percy said; "I know."

My heart felt like it was breaking. Would it be the same, afterwards? Would Percy still pay as much attention to me, or would idiotic Aphrodite girls catch his attention? It would be about time; they threw themselves at him all the time.

My heart sank and my nose felt stuffy from the sudden feeling, like I was going to cry. My eyes begin filling, but I sucked in a sharp breath. I wouldn't let this get in the way of me enjoying my last few days of bliss.

After about an hour of comforting silence, the occasion random question, Percy pulled over. It was about 7:00 pm, and the desert sky's horizon was tinted with deep plum, covered with pinks and, overall, blessed with orange. Black was creeping its way in, but in a way that it seemed to be a glimpse of a lining beneath a dress or a paper under tissue paper.

When Percy pulled over, I was surprised. He had done an all-nighter the other day, and I was thinking I'd do the same for him. The sexist fool _usually_ never let me drive, but I would kill him if he pulled another all-nighter without letting me even help.

"Can we just stay here tonight?" he asked, his tone mild; yet I could hear so much more.

He felt exactly like I did. He thought that this was all over…that there would be no more afterwards. Too many differences, too much sappiness…it was meant to be ruined.

And it made me want to curl up in a corner and die.

I turned my head and looked deeply into Percy's eyes for about a minute. I nodded; then, he unbuckled his seat belt and jumped out of the car. I watched him go back pulled a few things out of the mysterious truck (that seems to hold everything ever needed) and began walking toward a cluster of humungous boulders. The scene before me was enough to make me breathless. The boulders were an orange-tan, complimenting the sky and sand at the same time. They had a few small plants littered upon them.

I followed Percy out of the car. He walked up to the boulder, threw the stuff on top of one the flatter, comfy looking one and climbed up. I did the same. By the time I was up there, he had everything set up and ready.

What I saw made me want to cry so much, I literally shook. My knee-jerk reaction to that is a smart-aleck comment…but I didn't do that here. I gulped that back. I just looked around me.

I could see the distant uniqueness of the desert area we were in. No one was near, not for miles. We were in the middle of a sandy wasteland with a highway. But then slowly, I began seeing the richness of the scenery. The colors of the sky…the endless horizon…all that stuff.

But what made it so beautiful was the dorky, uncoordinated (at this type of thing, at least), stupid, careless, too loyal…_perfect_ boy sitting on the picnic blanket.

He's laid the blanket on the best spot. He was holding a bag of food and an intense look that made me fall deeper into the pit of love he'd stuck me in.

"Come here," he said, his voice soft and husky.

I walked over on wobbly legs. Percy had pushed the bag of food away and was focusing on me. He had held his arms out and I climbed into them; my breath still short, my eyes still burning with tears.

I never wanted this to end. I never wanted him to leave me.

But everything came to end. I knew that.

But, then, why did it have to hurt so much?

Percy's POV:

I'd been planning this since the time at _Cleo's B&B_. I smiled at the memory, as I sat there, all sappy with my food and red-and-white checkered picnic blanket.

Annabeth was standing there, in her jeans and black camisole. She looked cold. I wanted to give her my jacket, but she just looked so horribly beautiful, standing there, her long, lush blonde tendrils in there perfect, messy spirals. The tip of her nose and her cheeks were a little pink and her eyes were darker than usual. Her tan skin was still glowing, but she was tainted right now.

Sad.

I wanted to sigh. I was, too. Sad, I mean. This was ending…this _thing_. A flimsy idea that lead for us to forget about our lives…our duties…something I'd been fantasizing about ever since I was 12.

It made my heart break, a deep ripping inside of me. Annabeth and I would never be able to live moments like these ever. I would savor them while I could.

As she walked towards me, Annabeth's legs wobbled. I held out my arms, begging her with my eyes to sit in my lap. She did. She snuggled up to me and buried her face, like usual, in the crook of my neck. I hummed lowly and wrapped my arms around her. I felt like she was going to cry…yet she was not. It was a deep, painful hurt; one she was masking. That would explain the crying-yet-not-crying part.

I looked up into the colorful sky. In the middle of nowhere, holding Annabeth, thinking of what was to come next, it was all too much. But, hell, if I didn't do this, I would regret it for the rest of my life.

I pulled Annabeth away from me and looked at her. At first I just silently handed her the food. Then slowly, I started talking. I'm not sure what I was talking about, I was just talking.

"-this night thing, its really beautiful…dark and light…stars and sky…kind of like heaven and hell, you know?"

And I kept on going. Annabeth listened to my ranting in silence, a small smirk her only response.

I kept going and going until, when we decided to finished our food and lay down; we saw the black sky speckled with bright white things. I smiled. It was so nice.

Annabeth seemed to think so too, because we lay down and she curled up next me, and I threw one arm behind me. We didn't speak. We barely breathed. We just watched the dark, dark sky for a long time. That was until she murmured, barely whispered into my jaw, "I love you so much."

It was one of the impromptu moments that were so Annabeth it wasn't even funny. Her tone was mild. She was quiet. Her passion, her _intensity_, burned through her eyes and just her eyes.

I shifted to press my lips to her forehead. I saw her eyes flutter shut, but then opened again. I smiled against her forehead and then, even if breathed it, my voice broke; "I love you, too. More than you can think of."

And, then, I couldn't stop it.

I let a single, burning tear slid down my cheek and fall onto her beautiful face.

**I don't want to ruin this moment. Just…go listen to "Falling Slowly," by Once. **

**It will explain it all.**

**Review, please. **

**- S.**


	26. Chapter Twenty Six: He Ran, He Rejected

**Hey! I didn't go, like, ahead with this one. I start where I left off last time.**

**Just a FYI. **

**;-)**

**Enjoy!**

Percy's POV:

Annabeth didn't say anything. She just wiped the tear away.

We lay there for a long time. After a bit, I found myself turned to Annabeth. She was staring at me. We both moved to lay on our sides. We stared deeply into each others' eyes…just breathing. My breath mingled with her. Annabeth tucked her toes, pressed them to my legs for warmth; mostly because they were cold and bare.

After a moment, I let my hand trail down the sides of her body. Annabeth's body was beautiful. I knew that. But I couldn't help but want more right now. The moment was perfect…but I felt like I was violating her. I couldn't just kiss her and be like "Let's have sex."

That'd just be awkward. Really, really awkward.

So, instead, I tried to be suave and stuff and traced the side of her body. I went up to her hip, and then slowly went downward. I could feel Annabeth shiver a bit. I traced circled on her shirt, before going lower and rubbing the small bit of skin, that stripe of _pure_ teasing, and I heard her breath hitch. I felt myself get hard. When I looked up at her (I had somehow managed to change position, sitting up, but leaning over, as my fingers crawled all over her), I got harder. Her hair was in this messy sexy bun, strands falling out just the way I liked it. I could she her sexy beauty mark, right at the corner of her right cheek, placed perfectly. And, the way her body arched a bit, without her control, just looked awesome.

I smiled as I leaned over. I didn't have a _clue_ what I was doing, to be honest. But I think I was doing something that could be considered erotic. I leaned over and pushed her shirt up a bit, hearing her breathing turning into panting. I felt my own breath grow heavy.

I used my tongue to trace a line, parallel and close to the waist band of her sexy low-riders. I could see her hip bones now, and the way her jeans barely hung onto her long, _long_ legs, was enough to make the panting begin. I felt my jeans grow tight.

But as my tongue licked her, Annabeth tried to grab my hair. When she couldn't reach, she simply grabbed her own, letting out a fucking _sexy_, _raw_ moan. I groaned. How had we moved this fast?

And, more importantly, how could she be so _sexy_? The sight of her pulling her hair was enough for me to quickly roll over and hover above her. And when she quickly grabbed fistfuls of hair and kissed my lips hard, I could tell.

This night was going to be fantastic.

Annabeth's POV:

He was the sexiest teenager alive. He was licking me. He was _licking _me. The thought alone was like a explosion of tightness and heat between my legs.

And when I could feel his panting, I was even more turned on. I moaned and tried anchor myself. But I couldn't find anything. So, I grabbed my own hair. I couldn't control myself. I needed him. I needed this, just one time, before we were going to be separated.

_Annabeth. You're overreacting. You guys won't SEPERARTE_.

I ignored the voice. Even if we weren't going to separate, this moment was right. It was sexy, yet slow, loving yet rough. I needed _more._

When Percy rolled over, hovering above me, I gave myself only a moment to stare at his black hair, his sea green orbs. His tousled hair, messy, was begging me to run my hands through it. His face wasn't perfect; his nose was a bit crooked from fights, his face holding scars. But I loved it. It was perfection to _me. _

So, I fisted his sexy curls and pulled him to me. I kissed him hard. He finally let go and let out a moan that set me on fire. This was moving too slowly.

I quickly gained control, rolling up over. I straddled him. We hadn't kissed much for a while. Percy and I liked going slow. But the next few moments were a blur. Percy definitely like me straddling him. I kissed him and grinded my hot, wet spot into his erect lower region. We both groaned and moaned into each others' mouths.

I felt like I was burning, my panties were in tatters. I wanted more. Still grinding into him, and feel that friction, I leaned over to kiss him. I let him really have it when I rolled my hips and began rubbing my chest, my stomach, everything against him. He groaned/growled. I moaned louder.

We were both breathing heavily now. I sucked on his bottom lip as he sucked on my top one. This was hot. This was too little, though.

I pulled away to breath, but Percy didn't stop. He just attacked my jaw. I could only see his black head, making his burning, _fucking_ trail down my neck. I felt myself whimper when he bit into my shoulder blade a bit.

Suddenly, my whimper made Percy freeze. He suddenly got up and left me in a mess on floor.

I growled, angry. "Get the fuck back here."

He smiled briefly. He turned his heel and literally ran towards the car.

I felt the burning in my eyes before anything else and the sharp break of my heart before anything else.

He had just rejected me.

I knew this was going to happen.

***GASP***

**Oh no, he didn't!**

**So, any of you want to know why Percy ran? REVIEW!**

**I know. I'm so evil, with all my cliffhangers. **

**But, heck. The story is coming to an end. I think, **_**MAX**_** of 8 more chapters. But that's still mucho, so GO! **

**Review. Or else you'll be stuck not knowing why he ran for a long, long time.**

**S.**


	27. Chapter Twenty Seven: A Tad Violent

**AHHH! I SUCK! I KNOW! **

**But I'm in another CONTINENT! FOR SUMMER! Yippee! But with settling down and all, I couldn't update quick enough.**

**I'm really sorry.**

**Enjoy!**

Percy's POV:

I ran to the car, fast. I was groveling around, looking for the Fitz leaves Thalia gave me. And a condom. When I finally found the stuff, I let out a long breath.

I held the condom between my fingers and twirled it a bit. I stared at it.

_Is this seriously happening?_

I furrowed my eyebrows. It was a good question. I wondered if this _was_ happened. Was I ready? Would she be hurt? Would _I_ hurt her?

Thoughts swirled around in my head. I almost didn't hear the growling behind me. But when I turned around I saw a very angry, very turned on, very sexy Annabeth.

"What. In. Hades. Do. You. Think. You're. Doing?"

She sounded so low, hoarse and angry I could help but feel more hot blood fill my cock. She was staring at me with that angry, dark look…it made me want to give her sex: rough, animalistic sex.

I didn't respond. I just stood there gaping at her. What else is new with me, idiot of all time?

So, Annabeth responded. Hard.

Annabeth's POV:

"What. In. Hades. Do. You. Think. You're. Doing?" I asked, angry as anything.

He stared at me with that _look_ for a moment. The look he gets when his mouth slides open a bit and his eyes roll back. It's the _sexy_ look. Damn him for turning me on right now.

When he didn't respond, I did. I strode over and punched him. In the face.

**Okay. This is SO mean. But I promise, promise, promise I'll have more tomorrow. I swear. I just…I dunno…ever since I read **_**The Lost Hero**_**'s sneak peek, I feel guilty and unrighteous. It's no right in a way. I need the series to be OVER and then I'll do wtv. **

**Anywho. I hope you liked this much! I know its horribly short.**

**Love you! No matter what, I'll update tomorrow…but reviews motivate me. Plus, I feel my writing style is changing a tad. Is it?**

**S. **


	28. Chapter Twenty Eight: Not Much Different

**Huuuurllo! **

**Well. I promised I'd update and here I am, updating! **

**Enjoy. This chappie was fun!**

Annabeth's POV:

After punching him, my knuckles felt a bit bruised. But I was angrier now, even more willing to knock the shit out of him.

How _dare_ he! How _dare _Perseus Jackson just get up and _leave_ without even warning me. For a moment, yes, I did think he was leaving me. But, hell, I was a sputtering mess of turned-on-ness then. The reason lay in his hands: some goddamn _leaves_ and a condom. Only the second one makes sense. I ran toward him, pushing him into his car when I saw the leaves.

"You got up and _left_ for some damn _LEAVES_?" I yelled.

Percy smiled briefly before I swung at him one more time. Something about this situation was getting my nether lips soaked, hot and tight. Along with making my breathing short and erratic.

But he caught my swing, his eyes dark. I could see a red splotch where I punched him, throbbing a bit, on his cheekbone. Oh, his angular, sexy cheekbones…his face…

Anyway, after catching my swing Percy spun me around so that I was pinned against the door of the car, my back to him.

He breathed in my ear, "There so that the gods can't watch what I'm going to do to you."

_Oh, good gods, I think I just came._ A violent roll of heat and desire went through me, all for his sexy, dirty words. Another shiver racked me when I felt his soft lips eating my neck with hot, open-mouthed kisses. I moaned.

"Oh, gods," I said through the frenzy. "How..you…do…this…uh, to, mmmm…me…"

Percy chuckled as he leaned forward, letting me ravish the feeling of his entire long body pressed against mine, and dipped his head so he could reach more of my neck. "Sexy," he murmured. "You're…so…"

I lolled my head back, then, to:

give him more access; and;

shut him up.

He spun me around and stared at me with a dark, lustful gaze for a second before grabbing my hand and pulling me back towards our "spot."

Once we were there, he took the leaves and burned them. He turned back to me. I was momentarily distracted by the sharp scent of pine and…leather? I tried rose my eyebrows at him before moving towards the fire. It was time to play with Percy. He needed to be punished, horribly teased, for leaving me like that.

I stepped near the warm fire. Soon enough, I felt like I was suffocating with heat. Smirking at Percy, I whined, "It's _so_ hot."

He furrowed his eyebrows in my favorite way and said as he sat next to me, "Um, I guess."

I leaned towards him and briefly sucked on his earlobe before whispering into it, "I've got a solution."

His hitched breathing went back to normal and he smiled as he said, "You always do."

And that's when I pulled off my shirt.

Percy's POV:

"I've got a solution."

_Maybe we should take you to the gods and make you a bit ugly. It might help my self control, too._

But I got out of my trance and smiled a bit. My answer was so blasé. "You always do."

She gave me her smallest, sneakiest smirk before doing something I really didn't expect.

Annabeth pulled off her shirt.

_Please insert hard-on now._

It would be an understatement to say she was beautiful, because she was _so_ much more. My pants might just pop a button. I could feel my mouth hanging open, my eyes staring at her glorious chest.

I met her eyes a few moments later. She watched me the way most people watch food. Annabeth seemed…_very_ turned on.

"Like what you see?" she asked.

I didn't respond. I just leaned forward and kissed her lips. I pulled back from the deep kiss and leaned into another one; one softer and sweeter. A bunch of thoughts were running around my head. I couldn't think straight. The thought that kept popping up again and again was: _I'm going to hurt her_.

So, thinking it through, in about 2 seconds, I decided that this Annabeth animal of sexuality needed to be put away for now. I wouldn't give her that for her first time. There would be too much pain.

Annabeth was in my lap now and I was giving her gentle kisses; on her nose, her cheeks, her jaw, her eyelids. She was murmuring incoherent things, mostly soft moans. They made the burning even hotter, making _me_ groan back. She straddled my legs, rubbing herself into my very hard groin.

After a few moments of that unbelievably amazing friction, I lifted Annabeth up, bridal style. She wrapped her arms around my neck and then shifting herself so that her legs were now wrapped tightly around my waist and she was fucking my mouth with her tongue.

_Oh, shit._

Still standing there, I kissed her. Down her neck later, and then lower and lower. I stopped at her collar bone, but Annabeth went, "_More_. Please."

So, I went. My lips brushed over the plump swells of her breasts. Annabeth let out a moan that was so rough and hoarse…it was insane. I even felt her entire body shake against me; making me harder. It only added to what her bra of black lace, which was just about the sexiest thing ever, did.

So, quickly, I went over to the blanket. I lay Annabeth down and hovered over her. For a moment, I only let my eyes rake her. Then, slowly, I began undressing her.

But, see, our night wasn't much different than any other teens'. There was no dual orgasming, no fiery passion of sex. Well, there _was _passion. But it wasn't like the movie.

Beautiful is probably the only way to describe it. That night was of highs and lows. There were times where I had no idea what to do; like when I tried to please Annabeth by fingering her; and there were times when it was just instinct; like when I suckled her tits.

There was just so much going on in my head…I couldn't really help but feel intimated and a bit nervous. Just like evryone else.

All I could do was try my best. So, instead of that animalistic passion, I gave her every ounce of love I could. I didn't move and I held her tight when she cried out in pain, when I broke her barrier. I kissed her shoulders, her hands…everywhere, trying to make the pain stop.

I would smile as I watch her pain begin to turn to pleasure, feel victorious that I wasn't _too bad; _that I _could_ please her.

And I even tried to control myself when her hot, wet, tightness wrapped around me. I would say that gods only know how hard it was but I'd be lying, because they weren't watching.

So, all in all, I would have to say…it was beautiful. It was everything anyone would ever want for their first time.

And, hades, it might not be for anyone else, but to me, it was perfect.

**Okay. To those of you who want **_**actual**_** lemon…you need to TELL me. Because…I dunno…I just don't fell motivated to do it. I feel like I'm violating the whole idea of Percy and Annabeth.**

**Anywho; please, please, please review.**

**Love it? Hate it? Tell me. I do what I do to please you. **

**;-)**

**Love;**

**S.**


	29. Chapter Twenty Nine: Vegas & Headaches

**Duuuudes.**

**The story is close to the end. Like…two or three chapters away.**

**I know, I know. It makes me sad, too. But, alas, I have dragged it on enough. Time for the grand finale!**

Annabeth's POV:

I woke up that morning well-rested. I don't think I've ever slept so well. But still, my body felt as sore as Hades and my mouth was dry and begging for water.

I yawned, stretching out like a cat, when my hand hit Percy. He grumbled like an irritated grizzly bear. I fought back a smirk. He was too damned adorable.

I was about to get up when I realized I was butt-naked.

And then it all came flooding back.

_Percy touching me. Percy making love to me. Percy's naked body…Mmm…_

I felt a grin so wide, it actually hurt, spread across my face. I got up quickly and quietly. I grabbed Percy's abandoned shirt from the ground and pulled it on. It smelled like him, so I huffed it like it was my personal brand of heroin. **(TWILIGHT REFERNCE. *giggle*)**

After drinking a heady amount of H2O, I finally sauntered back to Percy. Of course, he was still sleeping. I decided to wake him up, Annabeth style.

I threw the remaining water in my glass on his face, of course.

He woke up with a groan and a few profanities stumbling out of his mouth. Mmm…that _mouth_…I leaned over and kissed him. His groaning turned into soft moaning. I pulled away and said, "Get up, Seaweed Brain. We're in the middle of nowhere, remember?"

He grumbled some more, rubbing his eyes. When he finally decided to squint at me, his face went shocked-mode. "You're wearing my shirt."

I raised my eyebrows. "You got a problem with that?"

He didn't answer. Instead, he got this ferocious expression, like he was going to kill me; but instead he grabbed me and pulled me back onto the blanket, ripping the shirt off and attacking me in his best, pantie-dampening ways.

The kissing was enough to get me so worked up, I was moaning loudly.

Gods. We weren't going to be out of here for _hours_.

Percy's POV:

She was wearing my shirt.

She was wearing _my _shirt.

She was wearing _my shirt_ and looked _fucking_ hot in it.

Annabeth stood there in front of me, cocky as usual, and smirking. When I finally looked at her, I realized a sex goddess was in front of me (no pun intended. She wasn't really a goddess, I mean. But she was one to me. But you know…gods. I'm rambling).

Her hair was long and blonde, the spiral curls tumbling down her back. Her eyes shined under the morning sunlight. Her lightly tanned skin glowed like she had some kind of brilliant pearly light inside of her. And her long, _toned_ legs were completely in view; my t-shirt failing to hide any of her curves.

So, was it really so shocking that I grabbed her and fuck the life out of her right there? I was male, loved her, she looked seriously beautiful and we were alone. What else was I supposed to do?

Finally, after about an hour of hot morning sex, we washed ourselves off with some water from  
the water bottles. I felt so good, basking in that great afterglow of some mornin' lovin'.

Annabeth, though she tried to hide it, looked pretty happy, too. Her glow had turned up a few notches.

"So," I asked when we were finally in the car, "Where to?"

Annabeth tilted her head as she stared me. She was thinking about something, contemplating it. I could tell.

"What's on your mind?" I asked, exasperated. These types of conversations were long and filled  
with arguing.

Her answer was nothing I expected though. It was two words.

"Vegas, baby."

I gaped at her like a fish out of water for a few minutes. She just smiled lazily back. Ugh. She needed to stop being so…_desirable_ and needed to let me think about something other than how her tight, wet-

Oh, _gods_. Need to stop thinking about that now.

I gulped and squeezed my eyes shut, trying to keep my head clear. "You sure you can handle it?" I finally asked. "It _is_ Vegas."

Cue smirk from Percy. Cue punch from Annabeth.

It was nice to know some things never change.

We arrived in Sin City in about three days. The days were uneventful and since Annabeth was feeling moody, we'd been laying off the sex.

Translation: Percy was starved of his need for Bethy over there.

So, obviously, after we arrived in Las Vegas, found a hotel and checked in, I sat on the edge of the bed and beckoned the A-Beth into my arms. Of course, she just stands near the archway of the hotel room, leaning against a wall and turning her eyes lazily to me and then says; "Spit it out."

My plans of seduction were trampled. I then sadly muttered; "I need a drink."

I didn't mean it, but later, when we were downstairs in the casino, Annabeth was freaking _adorable_ when she was tipsy. As we played black-jack, she pouted at me, offering her drink to me, saying; "Won't you take a sip?"

Annabeth is the drinker. I think I mentioned that a long time ago. My duty is to not ever let both of us drink at the same time; not that I was anywhere near as bad of a drinker as Ms. Chase here.

But, I was starved of sex and very moody, so I forgot all about the rules and downed the vodka. It burned a hot trail of warmth down my throat and into my belly. I sighed in delight.

I drank about ten more shots.

And now, you can ask me how the rest of the night went, but I have no idea. No clue whatsoever.

I only woke up to find a few of beer bottles trashing our hotel room and Annabeth in white lacy undergarments next to me. Oh yeah, and I think there was a tux and white dress slung over the couch or something.

I stumbled out of bed, wincing. I had the worst hangover in the world. And, to add to the greatness, I never handled alcohol well.

_Stupid, stupid me,_ I thought bitterly. _I could have easily lost Annabeth yesterday. I can't believe I_ _let myself get drunk._

Now…if only I could remember what we did last night.

I walked into the bathroom, dragging my feet. My head was pounding really hard and my mouth was slick, but my tongue was dry. I felt like I was going to hurl soon, so I ran over to the toilet and flung it open. I vomited my guts out for about half an hour. Then, I washed my face with soap and walked back out. By now, I was conscious enough to realize I was in nothing but boxers.

Ugh. I pinched the bridge of my nose as I leaned against the archway in the middle of our hotel suite.

_Annabeth._

I glance over at her. I saw that she was sitting up, staring at something on her left hand. I walked over, slipping my arms around her waist and nuzzling her neck. She smelled like sleep and her lemon-y, soap-y scent. I inhaled deeply.

Finally, I looked at what she was staring at. She was, oddly, silent.

On her fourth finger, left hand, I saw a sweet little ring, a silver band with a small diamond. I furrowed my brow as I looked at it again. It looked weirdly familiar…

And then it all came flooding back.

_Annabeth and me. Elvis. Laughing. Mom's old ring. White dress._

Oh, Hades. Oh, _holy_ Hades.

I think I just married Annabeth Chase.

**AHAHHAHAHA. More cliffhangers. God. By the end of this story, one of you will be chasing me with a pick-axe, screaming things like; "YOU. NEED. TO. STOP. WITH. THE. CLIFFIES."**

** Didn't see that one coming, did ya? Well…I thought that something had to happen. I wanted this to happen for a long time actually. In the next chapter, you'll get a lot of flashback's, one including pure lemon! Promise.**

**Plus, I'd like to say hello to my new Beta, Nic Lire. Its kind late for a beta, but he was awesome enough to offer. Plus, he corrected some of my silly, silly mistakes. **

**Now, review. I heard from a little birdie that if you do, I'll update faster with that scrumptious lemony goodness. **

**Btw, thank you all for your support through-out this story. It means so, so much. I love every single word dearly.**

**- S.**


	30. Chapter Thirty: Making Love & The End

**Bonjour, amours.**

**I wasn't suspecting this to be the last chapter…but it is.**

**When reading the love scene (it's too sweet to be called a lemon), ****please listen to FOOD IS STILL HOT by WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE****.I've even got the link on my profile for you. **

**It's perfection.**

**Enjoy. **

**I truly loved writing this chapter. I truly loved writing this story.**

Percy's POV:

Since I had figured out I married Annabeth, we'd been sitting on opposite sides of the hotel suite.

I sat on a plushy arm-chair; holding my head in my hands. My head was _pounding_. And through this pounding, I could feeling memories flooding back.

The first was of the chapel. The second was of saying (more like _slurring_) "I do" at the altar, with a fake Elvis Presley nearby.

The last…the last memory was one I'll cherish forever.

It was of that first session of real _love_ I made to Annabeth.

It was a session that broke my heart...but lifted it at the same time.

Annabeth's POV:

I stared out the window some more.

All I could think was: _My mother is going to kill me_.

Again and again that thought tortured me. I could barely remember anything; I just woke up and all I could think was: _I MARRIED PERCY JACKSON_.

I felt hot tears scorch my eyes, but I blocked them. I couldn't stand them. I hated crying; adding _that_ to this mess would be like adding gasoline to a wildfire.

I felt my thoughts wander to Percy, who was on the other end of the room, his head in his hands. We were both so drunk last night…_all my fault_.

The tears fell over.

Somehow, though, those tears brought back a memory, a memory to distract me from this colossal mess.

_(Last night, around 10 pm)_

"_Annnnnnabeeeeth," Percy gurgles cutely at me. _

"_Perrrrrcy," I smile/slur back._

_We are in the casino, both much past drunk. Wasted probably fits us better._

"_Hey, Annabeth," Percy says after a few minutes. I look up and see him staring at me with intense eyes._

"_Hmmm."_

"_Marry me."_

_I think about it. "I love you."_

"_So, marry me," he says back, softer this time. I can't tell if he's drunk anymore and that scares me, so, I let out a long, very drunk laugh and say;_

"_Okey-dokey."_

_Percy give me a lopsided grin, he murmurs to wait just a sec. I wait. After fishing in his pocket, he pulls out a box. _

"_Why're you caring a ring, Percy?" I ask, smiling at him hazily, "Planned this beforeeee?"_

_He shakes his head, but says nothing back. I grab his hand. _

"_Let's go wed, dork," I say, pulling him up and out of the hotel; toward the nearest chapel._

_(End of memory)_

I groaned. Oh, god, it was so much worse than I thought. I rubbed my temples with my index and middle finger, making acute, soothing circles.

After about a minute of this self-treatment, I get the second flash.

_(Last night, at the chapel)_

"_Do ya take her to be your gal, sonny?" the fake Elvis asks Percy in a stupid accent._

_Percy's staring at me, tilting his head and staring at me with those intense eyes. Those pools of sea green. I stare at them for a long time, my own turning soft. Percy always yanks my vulnerability from the darkest, deepest corners of my mind; always with these looks, those eyes._

_Percy doesn't hesitate, but he prolongs the moment. "I do," he finally says._

"_Do ya take him to your man, baby?" Mr. Fake Presley asks, turning to me._

_I nod. Then, finally, I pull the words out of my throat, straight from my heart._

"_I do."_

"_Well, then," Elvis yells, his accent thicker than ever, "May I pronounce ya man and wife! Kiss her, sonny!"_

_My lips twitch into a smile. I stare at Percy now, tilting my head, mocking him just a little. He grins back, still wasted, but totally onto what I'm doing._

_He leans forward and pulls me into a deep yet brief kiss. I feel really dizzy after that. _

_When we walk back down the aisle of this red, pink and white chapel of roses and big heart-shaped balloons, I stumble. Percy notices, so, easily, he leans down and scoops me up; bridal style, of course._

_We walk out of the chapel like that. _

_(End of flashback)_

I remember thinking that if we were so drunk, if we were so "wasted", then why did I feel so in touch with my emotions? Why did I feel so connected with Percy in the softest, sweetest of ways; especially when we walked out of that chapel, man and wife?

My head started throbbing again. I almost threw up right there but I guessed Perce was watching since a trash can found its way in front of me. I couldn't even mumble out a "thank you"; the vomiting started up.

I felt Percy's warm, toasty hands hold back my hair as I threw up. I felt his hand gently massage the back of my neck as I puked my guts out into that trash can.

After about ½ an hour, I finally realized I was hurling in front of my _husband_ who will probably never want to touch me again because of what he had seen. I internally scolded myself for;

1. Letting myself seem weak around Perseus Jackson.

2. Letting him _see_ me be weak. He'll never kiss me again.

I felt my hands slid backward as I held onto Percy's hands that were slowly massaging my shoulder blades, my neck. I leaned my head back a bit.

Right then, I remember the last thing of last night; making love.

_(Last night, around 2 am, before going to sleep)_

_I remember slipping into the hotel room, both of us quiet. Percy had only said "I love you" a few times; murmuring it against the skin of the sensitive spot just between my ear and my jaw, whispering it from far away, sighing it. It made me melt._

_We enter the room and I sat on the edge of the bed and Percy slowly walked in. We were both still a bit dizzy from the alcohol…but our demigod brains were functioning. Maybe even a little better than I would've wanted them to. _

_I stayed poised on the edge of the bed, watching Percy: his pale green eyes, his dark, jet black, too long hair. It fell over his eyes, sometimes strands got caught on his pale, pale pink lips. His skin was so ivory, so stark white, it was beautiful in contrast to his hair and his eyes. His features that had been round and boyish were becoming rough, angular. Yet they still had that cocky-as-hell-but-not-showing-it charm, that boyish attitude. I sighed. He was so different from me…so much better._

_Percy had now taken slow steps toward me. He fell onto both knees in front of me. Never breaking eyes contact, letting me sink in those DEEP green pools, he cupped my face in both of his hands. Before doing anything, he pulled out my left hand, staring at the ring _**(Picture on Profile) **_before kissing it softly. __His eyes were burning with such fierce rage, yet were so vulnerable…like a man confessing a crime; in his case, his love for me. He slowly leaned forward, brushing his lips with mine._

_There was too much emotion; I squeezed my eyes shut. Tears were finding their way into those eyes. I felt overwhelmed…so brokenly, gloriously in love with Percy. Brokenly because the fact that one person could have such a hold on me…it scared me._

_Percy's face was an inch away from mine, but he didn't kiss me. His hands slipped back, using on finger to trace my spine, thus getting a shiver from me. At the slowest, most tortuous pace, his long fingers pulled down the zipper of my long white dress. It was fairly simple…I'd gotten it on the way to a chapel, at a department store ironically. Long, strapless, simple and pure white. It was perfect for me. _**(Picture on Profile)**

_Finally when the zipper was undone, Percy's finger retraced its previous path, sliding along my tan skin. I let out a soft moan into the crook of his neck. He shivered this time._

_When I felt Percy's hands tugging at mine, to pull me up, I stood. He gently pulled off the dress, letting it fall into a puddle on the floor. I was wearing nothing but lacy white undergarments. Percy sucked in a breath._

"_You...you're...," he murmured into my neck, peppering it with erotic, soft kisses; trying to find the right word with those kisses._

_I felt more tears form. One or two slipped out. When Percy finished with my neck, his fingers tangled in my long blonde spirals, he stood up a bit and kissed away the tears. He didn't ask why; he just knew._

_I gulped. This was too much emotion…this was too much…we were supposed to be drunk…we weren't supposed to be having a real wedding night._

_But, I realized, this was a real wedding night. This had Percy-and-Annabeth written all over it. _

_Percy bent down, picking me up again. He carried me to the bed, gently laying me down. I reached out, stroking his face, slipping my fingers into his hair, latching them there. I pulled his head down into a soft kiss that made me curl my toes. I unlatched my fingers from his raven hair, slowly moving to his tux's jacket. I sat up as I pushed it off. Percy watched me as I undid each one of his white shirt's buttons, slowly. More tears slipped over. Every so often, I would lean forward and plant a kiss; on his shoulder, on his chest, on his stomach, on his arm. It didn't matter. All that did matter was that it was Percy. He did the same to me; brushing his lips to my hair, to my neck, to my shoulder, to my stomach, to my thigh. Sometimes he'd graze over the swell of my breast, releasing a long, quiet moan from me._

_Once he stood in his black boxers and me still in my undergarments, he slid over me. His gorgeous arms were on either side of my face, his hair falling over his eyes. I reached out, brushing it away with a light touch. He cupped my face with his hands again, kissing me slowly, deeply. Breaking off the kiss, I could hear him murmuring things like how much he loved it, how unbearable it was, how beautiful I was, how I was going to be the death of him. His nose traced my jaw line, my under eye, my templar bones; all before laying a tender kiss to my forehead. _

_I'd had enough by now, I tugged gently on the corner of his boxers. He gave me a quick, understanding smiled, but softly leaned forward to breathe in my ear;_

"_I'm making love to you. Don't make me rush."_

_More tears slipped over. This is WHY I wanted to rush. Too much emotion…too much…it overwhelmed me…yet I never wanted it to go away. I wanted to stay here, more vulnerable than ever, with Percy making slow, tender love to me._

_I finally felt my husband's finger's dance over the strapless bra's clasp. He undid it quickly, but eased the bra off. I let out a long sigh. He let out a low moan._

_I felt his face move to my breasts, his adorable nose skimming them; their size, their lines. I bit my lips, holding in the enormous feelings. I could feel the love radiating off Percy; I could feel the love radiating of ME._

_After peppering my chest and tummy with little kisses and murmurs, Percy finally slipped off my panties. He gasped now. I hadn't realized it before, but now I could see. On Percy's cheeks, a few tears slid down._

_I stopped him for a moment, reaching out to kiss him, then his face, the same way he kissed me for the first time. I kissed his eyelids, his nose, his cheeks. I wiped away that beautiful tear with my lips. _

"_I love you," he breathed, his voice breaking near the end, his voice shuddering._

_I simply kissed his lips, so gently, so delicately. I was no good at expressing my feelings with words; even worse than Percy. I tried to say what I could with the kiss. He understood._

_Percy finally took off his boxers. I smiled a bit, but then let my fingers trail down his hard chiseled abs, his slender muscles. I thought he might've been getting tired, so I flipped us over, rolling the plushy white comforter around us; wrapping us into a warm cocoon. _

_After layering him with warm, wet kisses, I sighed. Percy had been moaning, growling, shivering. Finally, he flipped us over again, him on top- me on bottom, and I realized we were going to finally do it. He kissed me one more time, one of those heartbreakingly loving kisses, brushing his lips with mine before opening mine with his slowly. He suckled my bottom lip softly as I felt him finally enter me slowly._

_I let out a soft whimper. He began rocking slowly, tenderly and I felt many tears slip over. It was unbearable, this much love. It took over, driving me into a suffocated state; a state where there was nothing but Percy, filling me to the brim, rocking against me slowly._

_I let out a cry now. He kissed me lightly to soften it. I could hear his breathing and mine escalated. Our frenzy was beginning, stronger than ever. But Percy barely increased speed, he just moaned and murmured into my neck; occasionally giving me a soft kiss._

_I was breathing so shakily now, I reached out wrapping my arms around his neck, holding his head to my chest. I finally pulled him up, biting down gently on his bottom lip. He moaned and I felt that bliss creeping over us again._

_Finally, he began to increase his speed, pressing into me harder. I was shaking now, unable to control myself. I came in a burst of 'I love you', hard breathing, bright light and heart-breaking tears. _

_Tears that came from the deep, scarring love that this was. Deep scarring love that Percy and I had just made._

_(End of flash back)_

I didn't feel the tears on my face until afterwards. While remembering, Percy had wandered over, kneeling in front of me, just like he had last night. His face was heart-breaking, it was so familiar, so loving. I felt him lean forward, tears in his own eyes.

His nose skimmed my face again, escalating my breathing. I felt that tight wrap of intense love hold me again.

He whispered into my ear, stroking my long blonde hair simultaneously; "We'll figure it out."

What could I do but smile a teary smile and nod? He knew how I felt. He knew that no man, no woman; no goddess, no god; no sister, no brother; _no one _could ever come between us. It would always be Percy and Annabeth. Seaweed Brain and Wise Girl.

I had a feeling he felt the same.

And, lastly, he was my husband. And I was his wife. And I had a feeling that that wasn't going to ever change.

THE END.

**And, so, it ends.**

**This journey's been fantastic. I could name a thousand people to thank…but it'd never be enough.**

**Please, if you haven't reviewed, I'm begging you. Let me know that you enjoyed this as much as I did.**

**I love you all. Thanks for the sheer **_**support**_** and awesomeness you gave me.**

**Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.**

**- S.**


	31. Chapter Thirty One: Epilogue

**Hello, loves.**

**Since you all INSISTED that there should be at least a bit more, you know, an epilogue or something, well, here it is. Btw, since the last chapter was all Annabeth, this is all PERCY! Yaaaay!**

**Enjoy!**

Percy's POV:

"PERCY JACKSON!"

Oh, god. How many times is that now? Fourty? Fifty?

Ever since coming back to New York, which was, say, three days ago, every addresses me with either;

A yell.

A scream.

A shout.

A cry.

A bellow.

…you get the picture.

In my opinion, it should stop. I mean, do I _want_ to be treated like I've committed some kind of felony?

No. I do not.

Seriously. Everyone should have expected this. I mean, it's always been me and Annabeth. _Always_. Marriage just kind of made it…official.

I turned right now, to see which new adult was yelling at me. It wasn't someone I had expected to see so soon.

Mom.

Ah, crap.

I should have gone to her first, I know, I know. But I thought that, in fear of being blasted to smitherins, I should go to the gods. Especially since one of them was a father of mine; one I'd previously flipped off.

Yeah, so, I had been here at Olympus for the last three days. As awful as it sounds, I'd kind of forgotten about Mom. Well, not _really_…but…

Okay. Fine. So, I was avoiding her.

The reason was that my mother knew me and loved me so much. Like, neck-in-neck-with-Annabeth much. And facing her after doing something…well, something I should but hadn't gotten permission for…well, it wasn't really _comfortable_.

"Hi, mom," I said, gulping, turning slowly.

"Percy."

"I'm sorry." That was my reflex reaction to my name lately. I think its been hardwired into my brain. Probably by Annabeth, who, right now, I was actually wishing was here.

My mom stared at me for a bit. This had been what I was avoiding, this…_knowingness_. My mom didn't need me to say anything. She knew how I felt. I mean, I could feel it all over my face.

"Don't be," she said slowly, "But, please, explain."

I finally met her eyes. They were completely unreadable. I think both my parents have some kind of insane super power that lets them do that.

I gulped again. "I, um, got married. In Vegas. To Annabeth."

She tilted her head now. "I know."

Gods. Must she be so intense?

"W-what do you want to know then?" I asked, my eyes darting around, my thoughts begging Annabeth to just…appear. She was so much better at explaining.

My mom's expression finally caved. She sighed and looked at me with tired eyes, but, they had a bit of a sparkle in them, like she was at least a bit happy.

Well. That makes one person.

"I know, Percy. I don't think it was right to be…well, right _now_, but I understand. You love her. It's given. And…well, I won't make a fuss because I know you're growing up," she said, her eyes becoming a bit sad towards the end. "It's just…you're not my boy anymore. You're Annabeth's man."

I felt a small wave of sadness wash over me. It was true…but I wanted to be my momma's boy again. I had always been attached to her, un_believa_bly attached. I wished that I could be two people: my mom's and Annabeth's.

But…well, marriage, it made the choice for me. I felt guilty for been so…sporadic about it. It was supposed to be an event for everyone to accept the new me. It was supposed to be the one event where I could be two people; just before I would have to break off the part of me that was my mom's…my dad's…until I would devote myself to the blond-haired girl that I wished was beside me right now.

I gulped. Oh, man. I _knew_ there was a reason I had avoided Mom. It had been to keep a realization away.

The realization that with our wedding we'd been a bit…selfish.

I guess I'm going have to do what I've kept at the back of my head for a while now.

I sighed now. I meet my mother's eyes. Awkward as ever, I stumbled forward and gave her a hug. She hugged me back gently. I buried my face in her neck for a moment, smelling her hair. It was comforting, like childhood. I loved her. And I would do this for her.

I'd made my decision.

I left, then, because my Mom, who I think might be psychic, seemed to understand. She waved me off. And then, I left to find Annabeth.

As I walked across Olympus to the backroom's where Annabeth's little office-y station was, I thought about how the gods had reacted when we'd told them. The memory flashed in my head.

_(two days ago, mid-day)_

_I held Annabeth's warm hand as we climbed into the elevator._

"_Oh, shit," I said, my eyes widening, "They're gonna kill us. We're gonna be blown to smithereens. Oh, gods, Annabeth, I'm sorry. I'll be killed 'fore I'll get to prove that I'm an awesome husband."_

_She suppressed a smile. "Percy. They're not going to kill us."_

"_Well, then, they'll kill me. They'll just let you work on Olympus."_

_She tried harder to keep from laughing. It wasn't funny. I was actually panicking. _

"_Percy," she was near my face now, reaching up and lightly trailing her fingers over my lips, then my cheek. I let out a long breath, calming down a bit. "We'll be fine."_

_I nodded, gulping. We'd reached our floor._

_We stepped out and saw the gods in front of us. Every single one of them, standing in front of the pair of us, in human form. They were still menacing as ever, though._

_I gulped harder. They'd ambushed us. We were surround. _

_I told Annabeth we were gonna die. I'd TOLD her._

"_Erm, hello," Annabeth breathed. Ha, so NOW she was nervous? _

"_PERCY JACKSON!" _(see, I told you! Everyone just yells my name like some kind of messed up battle call) _Athena yelled. "HOW DARE YOU-"_

"_Mother," Annabeth said softly, but intensely. _

_Athena's mouth shut. I straightened up a bit, from my cringing position. _

"_Percy and I are married. I'd like you to give us your blessing," Annabeth said, very calmly. _

_Athena's eyes flashed and then burned with a silent rage. "Never."_

_Was it me or did I sense that Athena's voice was a bit broken in the last syllable?_

_Athena's eyes darted at me, as if daring me to repeat my thoughts. She could hear me. And I was right._

_Athena's eyes radiated anger more. She took a slight step closer to me. I shut my thoughts up._

_I looked down around at everyone, meeting each gaze for a moment. Zeus looked like he was wondering why he was here. I heard him snort. Huh. I was right about one person._

_Artemis and Apollo looked bored and shrugged when I looked them. They didn't really care. Artemis and Apollo both cracked a smile at that. Right again, I guess._

_I looked at Aphrodite and Hestia next. Aphrodite was ignoring me; I guess she was still kind of hurt over the whole party thing. She met my eyes when I thought that. I said, directed straight at Aphrodite; __**I'm sorry**_**.**

_She gave me a small smile, one that might suggest that in the far, far future she'd forgive me. She smiled a bit more, her eyes gaining the heart-felt twinkle that had convinced me that the Goddess of Love wasn't so bad._

_Hestia just gave me a small smile. It was enough to tell me that she approved. Hera just rolled her eyes at me. I guess she approved since she was the goddess of marriage and all and the fact that we'd even achieved it was enough._

_I saved my father for last. I had felt his eyes on me the entire time. I took a deep breath and met his eyes; identical to mine._

_He was just staring at me, one eyebrow cocked. I breathed again. "Hi Dad," I said._

_He didn't say anything back. Man, I was dreading this._

"_I'm, um, sorry I flipped you off before." Zeus snorted again and even my dad's lips twitched._

"_You're forgiven for that."_

_I gulped. For that. Oh, well, golly. Thanks, Dad._

"_I'd like to ask for your blessing, too."_

_Poseidon didn't look at me. Instead he met the eyes of Athena. They looked at each other, then back at me, both of them at once. I felt ambushed all over again. _

"_All I've got to say, Percy, is that you should do it right," he said, his eyes turning ominous, "Or you shouldn't do it at all."_

_(end of flashback)_

I turned the corner, heading further into Olympus, _still_ looking for Annabeth.

My dad had implanted a thought into my head, one that I was acting on now, and had left it there. He knew it. His funny smile when he looked at me; his tilted head; they all told me that, _hey, he knows_.

I clenched my jaw. He had been right. And he'd probably told my mom, who had thought the same thing. And then they sent my subconscious mind a message;_ Tell Percy to do it or we won't give him our blessing_.

As a matter of fact, they hadn't even given us answers for our blessings.

And, ironically, I crashed into Athena just as I thought this.

"Oh, gods," I breathed, jumping away. "I'm so sorry."

She brushed off her clothes. "No harm done," she said in that platonic tone of hers.

I gulped. It was time to ask Athena for her blessing for Plan B. She shot me a questioning look; sensing my thoughts. She cocked an eyebrow as she said; "What is it you need this blessing for?"

I didn't reply. I just pushed the thoughts to her. For a moment, her face was empty; she was reading my thoughts. Then, she smiled, just a tiny bit.

"You're not as stupid as I thought."

I had to snort at that. She really was Annabeth's mother.

"But, as for the blessing…"

I held my breath.

"…I think you'll need a gift as well."

I let out a long whoosh of air in relief. I gave Athena a big smile and said; "I promise to take care of her."

She was already walking away when she threatened, "Oh, you'd better."

I was too happy to feel scared. Now, I sprinted off, still looking for Annabeth. Where in Hades was she anyway? Do people just disappear like that?

I finally saw her, in the distance, reading some book as she sat at the bottom of a pure white Eros fountain. I ran over to her. She looked up; confused, happy and questioning.

"Hey," I said, breathless.

"Hi," she said; her brow furrowing. I felt my heart stutter when her eyes meet mine. She was so pretty.

"I…need…to..ask…you," I said, still trying to catch my breath. Her being so…good-looking didn't help with that.

Annabeth raised her eyebrows. "I figured."

I smiled a bit, still panting. "Okay. Here goes."

"Annabeth, I love you," I breathed, I stared into her grey eyes for a long time before saying the next part. "I love you and I want to make our live perfect."

She nodded, her eyes latched with mine. I grumbled, giving up the whole Romeo thing I was trying at.

"Okay. Let's just say this the Percy-way, okay?"

Her lips twitched. She nodded again. Hades, she was cute, too.

"Okay. Okay. I love you. And 'cause you're so smart, you know that our marriage won't be perfect, but I'll try my damn hardest to make it that way. And, Annabeth, I made a plan. I know," I meet her eyes, giving her a tiny smile. "That's usually your job."

She tiled her head, using her body to ask me; _What's the plan?_

I took a breath. Here goes nothing. Or everything. Or…oh, who _cared?_

I never let my eyes leave Annabeth's face as I said; "Annabeth, I married you in the most Annabeth-and-Percy-ish way known to man. And gods. But…I can't _not_ marry you in _every_ way. I can't be selfish and keep our marriage as something for _us_. Because…well, we've got the rest of our lives for that. And, also, because marriage is kind of like saying bye to old me, one that belonged to my mom, my dad, my family and friends and saying hello to new me; who belongs only and only to you."

Annabeth was frozen now. I didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing so I said my next few words in a shaky voice.

"I need you in every way. You body, your head, your heart…so, I think our…matrimony should be something like that. So, please, Annabeth Chase, divorce me," I watched her face mold into pure terror. I said the next line breathlessly. "And then, please, marry me all over again."

Annabeth just stared at me with her mouth ajar for a moment. Then her eyes watered a bit. She gulped visibly. She didn't say anything.

I was frozen now. I didn't know what to do, so I reached for her hand, pulled off her wedding ring and sank down on one knee. I stared at and said it again:

"Annabeth Chase, divorce me and then marry me again. Marry me in the cheesiest, most uncomfortable and fanciest way. Hades, marry me a few times. As long as it's with you, I'm happy."

I could see the tears burning in her eyes now. I could feel them in mine, I rubbed them away self-consciously. Annabeth suddenly reached out and pushed my hand away, wiping the tears away herself.

She knelt on both knees in front of me now. She was still trying to digest all of this (gods, _I _was) but she finally whispered, in a trembling voice but still, "Yes."

I felt a huge, exhilarated smile cover my face. I reached forward, cupping her face and kissed her deeply. And then I pulled back and I did it again.

And, as I kissed her, I realized the wedding(s) didn't matter. Only Annabeth did. I didn't care if I had to marry her a million times over again. In fact, that's be absolutely awesome...

...as long as it was with this adorable, funny, wise, amazing, spectacular, beautiful girl:

Annabeth.

**It's all over. *weeps***

**No, but, seriously, it's done now. I'm not going to write about their wedding, because, well, I just think that there are too many fanfics already with those flashy, out-of-this-world wedding scenarios. I gave you one; one that was very Percy-and-Annabeth.**

**I'd like to thank you all again. You're amazing. Absolutely amazing.**

**Btw, I'm writing a new story! Please, please, please check it out. It may seem a little…anti-Percabeth at first, but I promise you, it's much good. Just more…adventure-y? It's called A Girl & A Boy Destined For A Curse & A Ploy.**

**And now; Bye bye!**

**I love you. All of you.**

**Sincerely;**

**- S.**


End file.
